A Tail To Remember
by Gie
Summary: A DBZRanma Alterverse. An Epic of the Grandest Scale. One day Kamisama discovers discord in the universe, and finally lets the Z Senshi in on a secret that he has kept hidden from them: more Saiyajiin on Chikyuu! 122004! ATTN: CHAPTER 35!
1. Disclaimer, Glossary and other Stuff

**_A Tail To Remember_**

By: Gie (phowah@cs.com) 

An Alternate Universe Continuation--Ranma 1/2 and Dragonball Z Crossover 

Saotome Ranma, Tendo Akane and their familiars are not Mine.   
They are Hers, Takahashi Rumiko-sama. 

Son Goku, Vejiita-oujisama and their familiars are not Mine, either.   
They are His, Toriyama Akira-sama. 

But hey, if they want to come over and visit, party, get wasted and   
fall asleep on my couch, that ki-draining chain holding them down is   
not Mine, either. 

Really, it's not. 

This story, and any new characters, though, are MINE, not Hers, or His. That should   
make the lawyers settle back in their cages. 

Timeline: In Ranmaverse, this is a few years after Saffron and the wedding disaster. They've graduated from high school. Convenient, ne? In DBZ, this is a few months after the defeat of Garlic Jr. 

I will be creating my own timeline, so some things will differ in both worlds. Especially DBZ. That's what 'Alternate' means. It is a good idea to be familiar with each storyline up to the points I mentioned. But I will be going slightly in-depth into the characters below, so that should help. 

Warning: I will be using quite a bit of Japanese throughout the story. Reason? Well, I think of Ranma and his universe in English, because that is all I have seen of the show. But I have saw, and learned the characters of DragonballZ and such through subtitled episodes, making me think of those characters in their Japanese rolls. Hence, the steady flow of Japanese. Included within is a fairly detailed   
dictionary/glossary that I use. Since this is a Crossover/Fusion/whatever you want to call it, I will give a little explanation of certain names/families/relationships. 

To get in contact with me, please email: phowah@cs.com Or on ff.net, use that nifty box provided on the bottom of the page. I'd love to hear from you, whether it be good or not-so-good. I'd prefer it to be good. *grin* Along with this disclaimer, for those already familiar with my story, I'm reloading the chapters, taking out all of the author notes and other disclaimers and such. It'll be a much cleaner, neater looking story. The chapters will still be numbered and labeled as they are, but won't have   
the mess at the beginning or the end.   


Glossary:   
First, characters: Names are in Japanese style, so family names are first, and proper names are last. There will be more added as the story goes on, but to be safe, and have no spoilers, they will not be mentioned within. 

Ranma 1/2

**Saotome Ranma:** The star/hero of the series. A water transsexual resulting from a Jusenkyo curse; ie: he changes sexes with water. Born male, he turns female, a red-headed, busty, female when hit with cold water. Hot water reverses the curse. Ranma was on a Martial Arts training trip for ten years with his father, **Saotome Genma**, who has a curse of his own: he changes into a Giant Panda**.** His mother, **Saotome Nodoka**, was left at home with a _seppuku_ (ritual suicide) pledge, stating that Ranma would be raised as a 'Man among men;' or both father and son would honor pledge. Nodoka knows about Ranma's curse now, and accepts him for it. She dissolved the pledge. Ranma is known as the best martial artist of his generation, and is well aware of that fact. Heir to the _Saotome Ryuu no Musabetsu Kasabuto_...or the "Saotome School of Indiscriminate Grappling." Viz translated it as 'Anything Goes.' And, that's prety much true. Has an ego the size of the Pacific Ocean. Also, due to unfortunate circumstances beyond his control, mainly his father's, he has three legitimate fiancees, and countless admirers and rivals.   
**Tendo Akane: **Has no curse, unless you count a bad temper as one. (Ranma does, by the way. For it is usually directed in his direction.) Heir to the _Tendo Ryuu no Musabetsu Kasabuto,_ or the Tendo School of Indiscriminate Grappling. Was the best martial artist in Nerima before Ranma arrived. Resented that fact for awhile. Akane is also Ranma's first fiancee. Arranged by their fathers, Genma and **Tendo Soun**, they were destined before birth to unite the two branches of Martial Arts and lead the school into greatness. Has two older sisters, **Tendo Kasumi** and **Tendo Nabiki.**   
**Kuonji Ukyou: **An _okynomiyaki_ (a Japanese pancake/pizza) chef. And Ranma's second fiancee. A cute girl that Ranma thought was a boy. But they were only six at the time when Genma asked Ranma what he liked better: Ukyou or okynomiyaki. Ranma chose the food, and Ukyou was left in the dust. She was shamed by her father and village, and threw away her femininity for a masculine identity, and a hard and long lasting grudge against both Saotome. Ukyou promptly forgives Ranma when they meet up again, when he calls her cute. She also like to rub that fact in Akane's face, calling herself the _kawaii iinazuke, _or the 'cute fiancee.' Runs her own resturant.   
**Hibiki Ryouga: **A young male, and Ranma's greatest rival. Has the world's lousiest sense of direction. Were friends/rivals in middle school. They were to have a battle in an abandoned parking lot about 500 yards away from Ryouga's house. Ranma waited for three days, but Genma forced him to leave. Ryouga arrived on the fourth day, and followed the pair to China, and consequently, Jusenkyo. He gained a curse as well, and now changes into a small black piglet with a bandana tied around his neck, nicknamed '**P-chan'** by Akane, who adopted him as her pet, much to Ranma's red-hot ire. Ryouga blames everything that goes wrong in his life on Ranma, and sometimes...he may be right. Is rather protective of Akane, who he has fallen in love with. He is always going after Ranma for something 'he did to Akane.' "Ranma, prepare to die!" is a battle cry heard fairly frequent in the Nerima air.   
**Shampoo: ** A purple-haired _Jogetsoku, _or commonly known as a Chinese Amazon. Ranma's third fiancee. She earned that title when Ranma and Genma wandered into her village during a tounament, and he defeated Shampoo, who happened to be the village champion, for her prize--which Genma happened to have eaten already. But at the time, Ranma was in female form. An ancient Amazon law stated that a menber of the village defeated by an outsider female would have to hunt said outsider down and kill her known as the 'Kiss of Death'. If male, then she would have to marry him--called the 'Kiss of Marriage'. Shampoo, believing Ranma to be female, did hunt her down, and found her/him in Nerima. But it was revealed that Ranma was indeed male, so she became the third fiancee. Although, according to her laws, they are already married. She returns home to China, but soon come back to Nerima with two other Amazons: **Cologne**, the 300 year old Martiarch of the Amazons, and **Mousse,** a male, Master of the Hidden Weapons technique, and Shampoo's devoted admirer. Shampoo does have a curse--she becomes a pink & purple kitten. Mousse becomes a duck. Cologne does not have a curse. The three of them run the _Nekohanten, _ or Cat Cafe, a ramen joint. 

DragonballZ

**Son Goku:** The 'star' or hero of the series; he is an alien known as **Kakarotto**, a Saiya-jiin from the planet Vejiita. The Saiya-jiin are known as the greatest warrior race in the universe. Their appearance is fairly reminicent to a large, muscle-bound human; the only obvious difference is the long tail that protrudes from the lower back. Kakarotto arrived on _Chikyuu_ (Earth) as an infant. His mission: To eliminate the Human race to make Chikyuu ready for the highest bidder. But, after being found by a kindly old man named **Son Gohan**, who took him in as his grandson, he fell down a ravine and bumped his head. This lucky act made Kakarotto, or now known as Son Goku, lose his memories of anything Saiya-jiin. The only things that separated him from appearing like a normal human was the abnormal amount of strength he held in his small body, and the addition of his tail. Later, Goku married **ChiChi, **and she bore him a half Saiya-jiin son, named **Gohan**, after his 'grandfather.' He did not know of his Saiya-jiin heritage until one day when a space pod came to Chikyuu and bore a _senshi _(warrior) named **Radiitzu:** Kakarotto's older, Saiya-jiin brother. He unveiled his story to Goku: his heritage, and the news that he was one of four Saiya-jiin remaining in the universe--for their home planet, Vejiita, had been destroyed by meteors. Goku denounces his Saiya-jiin heritage, and through a short, but nasty fight, gets killed, along with his brother.   
**Briefs Bulma: **A mechanical genius, and heir to the Capsule Corporation, a company founded by her father that supplies the world with a device known as Hoi Poi Capsules, little thumb-sized objects that can hold *anything* inside. Bulma was the one that brought Goku out of the woods where he lived as a child and into civilization. A rather bossy and arrogant female, she has beauty to match her brains, and was well aware of that fact. She was the one that was on the hunt for the Dragon Balls, the basis of the entire series, and hence its name. She created the Dragon Radar, a device that sensed the small, distinct energy the seven orange-starred balls radiated. Both her and Goku, who she discovered had the 4-star ball, went off on an adventure to collect all seven of the magical orbs to make a wish. For the legend stated that when all seven of the starred balls were gathered, the mystical dragon, **Shenlon, **could be summoned to grant any wish within his power. She has no other siblings, only her father, **Dr. Briefs, **and her mother, **Mrs. Briefs.**   
**Vejiita: ** The _Saiya-jiin no Ouji_ (Prince of the Saiya-jiin.) Named after his planet, Prince Vejiita is an arrogant, prideful male that has the power to back up his boasts. He may be rather short for his race, but he more than makes up for it with his attitude. He arrives on Chikyuu searching for the lost Saiya-jiin, Kakarotto. What he finds is an alive Son Goku, coutesy of a convient wish via the Dragon Balls. After a hard and bloody battle between the two Saiya-jiin, a battered Vejiita leaves Chikyuu, tail-less and angry. He becomes hell-bent on defeating 'that Third-class tail-less bastard of a Saiya-jiin.' He later, after dying himself by the hands of a ruthless killer named **Friezer**, is resurrected and brought to Chikyuu. Bulma offers to let him stay at Capsule Corp, supplying him with the infamous 'Gravity Chamber,' a device that allows the user to be within different levels of simulated gravity. There were many versions of the chamber, for Vejiita, in his quest to 'become stronger than Kakarotto and kill his sorry hide,' pushed its limits, destroying it.   
**Z Senshi: ** The Z Senshi, or Z warriors are comprised of the humans/others Goku called friends--most were enemies at first, but moved to his side after the Saiya-jiin befriended them. They include, in no particular order: ** Yamucha, Kuririn, Tenshinhan (Tien), Chao-tzu, Kamesen'nin(Master Roshi),and Piccolo.** Each one of these warriors have their own special talents that were handy in fighting to protect Chikyuu. 

Glossary of Japanese Terms:   
I defined some as I went along above, but I will include them in my lists below. 

Articles   
_-san_ This article is used to denote respect, and/or unfamiliarity. _Piccolo-san_ would be the same as Mr. Piccolo.   
_-chan_ This article is used in strong familiarity, between close friends or family members. Mainly used for affection, and in romantic relationships. Females addressing other female friends usually use the -chan suffix. Although, the term can be used with sarcasm. ChiChi calls her son, Gohan, _Gohan-chan._   
_-kun_ This article is used in place of addressing a younger person, or colleague. This is a more familiar suffix than -san, but not as familiar and personal as -chan. Genma sometimes calls Akane, _Akane-kun_. This article is generalized in male to male relationships, and female to male relationships, but usually never female to female, or male to female.   
_-sama_ This article is only used for dieties, or royalty. It is rather scandalous in Japanese society to call someone else with the -sama suffix if they do not deserve it. _Vejiita-sama, _since he is a Prince, is acceptable, and desired. _Kami-sama is right--there is no Kami-chan, or Kami-san._   
Royalty suffixes   
Since there are a few members of royalty around, their appropriate suffixes are used, as well.   
_Ou--_King   
_Ouji_--Prince   
_Oujo_--Princess (sometimes _-hime_ is used, but for all intents and purposes, I am using Oujo)   
The article 'no'   
This article usually means 'the' or 'of the'. _Saiya-jiin no Oujo--_Princess of the Saiya-jiin   
Other general suffixes   
_-sei_ This stands for planet. _Chikyuu-sei--Planet Chikyuu_   
_-jiin _This stands for people. _Nameksei-jiin--The people from the planet Namek._   
_-tachi _ This stands for 'And the rest,' as in the rest of the group. _Goku-tachi went to the park--Goku and the rest went to the park._   
_-ke _This is the suffix for home. _At the Tendo-ke, Ranma and Akane slept.--At the Tendo home, Ranma..._

Family Names   
_Otousan--_Father Can be shortened to 'Tousan   
_Okaasan--_Mother Can be shortened to 'Kaasan   
_Obaasan--_Aunt 'Baasan. This is also used for a stranger (female)   
_Ojisan--_Uncle 'Jisan. Also used as a name for a stranger (male)   
_Oneechan--_Older Sister, 'Neechan _Oniichan--_Older Brother, 'Niichan   
_Imoutochan--_Younger Sister _Ototochan--_Younger Brother   
_Obabasan--G_randmother Ojiisan--Grandfather   
_Masume--_Daughter _Musouko_--Son   
With these names, the dash usually used with the -chan or the -san is dropped, but when used with a proper name, the dash is after the proper name. Ex: _Nodoka-obaasan--Aunt Nodoka___

Some General Words   
_Hai--Yes Iie--No_   
_Arigato--Thanks Domo arigato gozaimasu _(formal) Thank you very much__   
_Doo itashimashite--You're welcome_   
_Kon'nichi wa--greeting, hello! Konban wa--Good day, hello!_   
_Ohiayo gozaimasu--good morning_   
_Ja ne--good bye sayonara--Good bye (more formal, permanent)_   
_Ja matta ne--see you later_   
_Nani--what _(usually used as a question. Nani?)   
_Onna--female _(Vejiita uses this as his 'name' for Bulma, so it means more like, Woman)   
_Otoko--male_   
_minna--everyone minna-san/minna-chan--my friends, etc._   
_kawaii--cute kawaiikune--uncute_   
_sugoi--incredible, awesome_   
_aishiteru--'I love you.'___

Swears   
Even though Dragonball Z is targeted toward a younger audience in America, it was not so in Japan. There was swearing and cussing--mainly from Vejiita, who had a potty mouth on him. But during the big battles, they razzed each other big time. Most have the same meaning, like all explicitives, but it just depends on the use of the word. Ranma 1/2 did have some, but most were fairly tame. Mainly Akane yelling at Ranma. *grin* Ranma no baka! (Ranma, you idiot!)   
_baka--idiot, dummy _The most tame word used--also the most common.   
_bakayaro--bastard_   
_shimata--damn_   
_kuso--sh*t/*uck kusotare--*ucker/*sshole_   
_*********_   


There are more...I know that, but I'll add them as I go along, or as I remember them. If you have any suggestions to anything I've put here, or you see an error, or think something should be mentioned, let me know by review or give me a holler at phowah@cs.com. This is just meant as an overview of the Japanese and the main characters in both Ranma 1/2 and Dragonball Z, and subsequently in 'A Tail To Remember'--nothing too in-depth. It gives you the readers a little bit of information to familiarize yourself with, well, unfamiliar characters. Hope this helps! **_Ja matte ne, minna-san!_**


	2. ARC 1: Enough Saiyajiin to Shake a Stic...

**A Tail To Remember**   
**by Gie (phowah@cs.com)**   
****************   
  


**A Tail To Remember**   
**Arc One: Enough Saiya-jiin to Shake a Tail At!**   
  


~Chikyuu, Kami-sama's Lookout, Night~ 

All was quiet. For Once. Kami was glad that things were peaceful and   
back to 'normal,' at least as normal as his protectorate can get. As he   
gazed down on Chikyuu, he mused to himself, "Peace at last." He gave a sigh   
of contentment. "But the question is, how long will it last?" 

Mr. Popo silently came up next to Kami, his eyes searching the earth   
below. "Any problems tonight, Kami-sama?" 

"None that I can see, Mr. Popo. It's a relatively quiet night." He   
looked up at his black-skinned friend. "We deserve this break in the action,   
don't you think so?" 

Mr. Popo nodded in agreement. "Yes, we certainly do, Kami-sama.   
Especially after that Garlic Jr. escapade." 

Something caught both of the higher beings' attention. A certain   
familiar pigtailed martial artist was flying through the air in a low-Chikyuu   
orbit. 

Again. 

Both sighed in exasperation. "Those two will never get along, will   
they, Kami-sama?" 

"Sometimes I wonder myself, Mr. Popo. Sometimes I wonder. They   
have certainly been through enough of hard times themselves for being so   
young." 

Mr. Popo hesitated and turned his attention away from the martial   
artist. "Kami-sama, do you ever regret doing what you did to those two?" 

Kami sighed. He was just thinking along the same lines as his   
companion. "No, I don't. They and their families were not prepared for   
what could and would have happened if I did not do what I did. It was for   
the best, at the time. Just think how out-of-control their lives would be if   
I let them be in their natural state." He concentrated on the flying martial   
artist's flight path. He mumbled to himself, "Looks like he'll land in the   
middle of Tokyo." He spoke louder. "Although they may be able to handle   
the consequences, now that they are older." 

"Would you consider reawakening them again, Kami-sama?" 

Kami considered the request silently. After watching Ranma land on   
his feet in the middle of Tokyo, unscathed and looking rather pissed about   
something, more than likely his fiancée, he responded quietly. "Yes, I think   
I would, Mr. Popo. They deserve to know who they really are, and the others   
deserve to know about them. I can think of a few individuals who would be   
really interested." 

The turbaned man nodded in agreement. "I would support you in   
whatever decision you make, Kami-sama. Let's go inside. Dinner should be   
ready." 

Kami nodded and turned away from the edge to go inside. He stopped   
and spoke. "But, Mr. Popo, I do not need to eat." 

He laughed wholeheartedly, and thumped Kami on the back. "Yes,   
well, you may not have to, but I do!" Kami joined in the laughter and   
continued inside. 

Suddenly, Kami stopped mid-stride and covered his face with his   
hands. Mr. Popo looked at him worriedly. "What's wrong?" 

The Namekian shook his head, rubbing his temples in concentration.   
"I don't know. All of a sudden I just felt a great feeling of dread and   
despair. Dark energies are amassing somewhere, I can feel it." Kami turned   
around a few times, and furrowed his forehead in confusion. "I can't   
pinpoint the location, though." 

"Is it from space, or on the planet?" 

He shook his head in frustration. "I can't tell." Kami looked up and   
sighed in defeat. "The feelings are gone, now. We'd better inform the   
senshi that something is coming." Mr. Popo nodded and readied everything   
that would be needed. Supper and the peaceful night were forgotten as a   
fleeting dream in the morning. 

***** 

Chikyuu, Capsule Corporation, That same night.   


*Punch*   


*Kick* 

*JumpKick* 

*LegSweep* 

*PunchPunch* 

Vejiita concentrated as he shadow-boxed with himself in the gravity   
chamber. Tonight it was set at two hundred times normal gravity. 'That   
fool Kakarotto will be blown into micro-particles when he gets back from his   
planetary cruise by the strongest saiya-jiin in the universe.' He smirked to   
himself. _He won't know what hit him by the time I'm through._ He frowned   
in mid-thought. _I can't take him on, though, until I reach the level of the_   
_Legendary super saiya-jiin. He can just keep bouncing from_   
_planet-to-planet, wasting precious training time, while I constantly train and_   
_become stronger._ He smirked even wider as he increased his pace. _Yes,_   
_the third-class fool is going to be blown to smithereens when we meet again._   
He twisted in the air and landed on his feet in a crouch. He smacked a fist   
into his other hand. "Come and get me, Kakarotto." 

Feeling confident over his anticipated meal of Kakarotto ala` mode,   
Vejiita started to power up, trying to reach the elusive super saiya-jiin level. 

As he was reaching a critical level in his powering up, Vejiita felt the   
gravity level drop drastically, going back down to normal levels. As the   
gravity dropped, so did the control he had over the ki he was collecting. In   
order to try to stop from overloading himself and exploding, he released the   
energy he gathered in a massive ki-ball and directed it into the ceiling with a   
thunderous roar. The roof exploded instantaneously with a tremendous   
'boom;' creating a lightly falling shower of plaster, metal, and plastic. 

"Who...in the hell...turned the...gravity off?" Vejiita roared, veins   
sticking out of his forehead, as he fought to catch his breath from the   
draining blast. 

Bulma peeked around the doorway, a frown on her face. "I did. Why   
in the hell did you destroy the roof?" 

He turned toward her and growled. "I had to release the energy   
somehow! Would you rather I shot it at you? Maybe I should have; it'd have   
solved several bothersome nuisances that I have to deal with in my life.   
Onna no baka! How dare you interrupt my training?" 

Bulma's anger grew proportionally with each of Vejiita's words. "So,   
it's that way, hmm? Fine! Be that way for all I care, you ornery asshole! I   
won't feed you, then!" Her face was a lovely shade of magenta. You could   
almost see the steam rising from her forehead. 

Vejiita gave her his best saiya-jiin smirk and sneered at her. "Good   
thing, then, too. I didn't want to keel over from food poisoning tonight,   
anyway!" 

"Oh, yeah?" She yelled in his face. 

"Yup." He tossed her another smirk and threw his nose in the air,   
exhuding confidence and arrogance from every pore. 

"Fine!" She roared in his ear, knowing how sensitive they were to any   
sound. 

Vejiita winced and turned to face her, studying her features. He   
didn't think anyone could turn that shade of red. "Fine," he calmly said to   
her, directing his attention to his nails, which were hidden within his   
scuffed gloves. 

"Aaarggghhh!!!!!" She clenched her hands at her sides stiffly and   
vented at the frustrating saiya-jiin no Ouji with a very healthy string of   
curses, alternating from Japanese to Namekian to English and others that   
Vejiita didn't recognize. Needless to say, he was impressed with her   
language skills. _I'll have to teach her Saiya-go...it'll add a real variety._

As Vejiita pondered his native language for suitable words and as   
Bulma reached deep into her genius mind for new words to insult the baka   
with, they were interrupted by a small noise. They both turned and saw   
Gohan examining the recent damage to the gravity chamber. 

Gohan was taking careful inventory of the damage, and noticed it was   
very quiet in the decimated room. He looked up at the two adults and waved   
cheerily. "Hey guys!" 

"WHAT?!" Both screamed at the young saiya-jiin. 

Gohan floated back several paces, and spoke. "Um...was I interrupting   
something?" 

Bulma snorted out loud and turned her back on the surprised prince.   
"Nothing at all, Gohan-chan. Just Ouji no Baka here spouting his usual   
drivel." She turned and knelt down in front of the child. "What did you   
want, Gohan-chan?" 

Gohan blushed at the '-chan' suffix but continued, his attention on   
the blue haired female in his view. "Well, Kami-sama has called everyone   
together. He needs to tell us something important." He glanced over to the   
older male. "And he said to make sure Vejiita-san came, too." 

Bulma stood up and brushed off the shorts she was wearing. She   
clapped her hands in excitement. "Well, we don't want to upset Kami-sama,   
do we? Let's go! It'll be nice to see everyone again. It's been a couple   
months. Is your dad back yet, Gohan-chan?" 

Gohan's expression saddened a bit, but cleared almost immediately.   
"No, not yet. But Okaasan and I expect him back soon. We can feel it in our   
hearts. He's a lot closer than he used to be." 

Bulma smiled down at him kindly. "That's good to hear, Gohan-chan." 

The child blushed a bit, but then scratched his head in confusion.   
"Um, Bulma-san, how are you going to get to Kami-sama's place? It's a   
floating palace, and you can't fly..." 

She thought a bit. "Well, I could use a jet-capsule, if I had one on   
me, but I don't." She brightened. "So...you could carry me, Gohan-chan,   
couldn't you?" 

Gohan blushed some more and stuttered, "Well, um, you see, um..." 

Vejiita snorted disdainfully. "Baka." 

Bulma whirled around and pointed a finger in the smug prince's face.   
"Baka, yourself! Since you think he wouldn't be able to do the job, then you   
get 'the honor' of carrying me to Kami-sama's palace. Think of it as your   
punishment for blowing up the gravity chamber." 

Vejiita started to get red in the face. "Baka, baka! You don't order   
the Saiya-jiin no Ouji around! I should destroy your pitiful planet this very   
second." 

She crossed her arms and gave the Prince a saiya-jiin-like smirk.   
"But you won't! Where will you go? Where will you train? Who will fix your   
food and keep rebuilding your precious gravity chamber, hmm?" She   
snorted and shook her head. 

He snorted right back at her, sneering in her face. "Whatever, Onna."   
With a flash, he picked Bulma up in his arms and shot into the sky. 

Gohan blink-blinked at the two bickering adults' display of   
childishness and noticed that they weren't in front of him anymore. "Hey   
guys! Wait for me!" He took off like a shot after the older saiya-jiin and   
his cargo. 

As Vejiita flew upward, Bulma started to scream. Loudly. And in Vejiita's   
sensitive ears. "Onna! Now I'm deaf! Are you happy?" He drew his deepest   
scowl as he fought to keep his balance and overcome the ringing in his ears. 

"Don't drop me!" She wrapped her arms around his muscular neck in a   
death-grip. 

His scowl softened a bit. "Onna, I won't drop you. I'd have to deal   
with everyone whining about your death." 

Bulma stopped screaming and looked into the coal-black depths of the   
smug prince's eyes. "You better not," she said seriously. 

All of a sudden, Vejiita dropped a bit in altitude. Bulma let out a   
squeal and buried her face in his neck. He snorted, but gave her hair a small   
smirk. 

Soon, they arrived on Kami's Lookout, Gohan directly behind them.   
He watched as Vejiita set Bulma down with surprising gentleness. He also   
noticed that Bulma and Vejiita didn't release each other immediately, either.   
He raised an eyebrow at Bulma's blush as she finally released the male, and   
Gohan raised the other eyebrow at Vejiita intense gaze at Bulma's back. 

He gave the two a small secret smile and walked over to Kuririn, who   
was talking with Kami and Yamucha. Tenshinhan and Chou-tzu were talking   
to themselves a pace or two away. "Kami-sama, I brought Vejiita-san and   
Bulma-san, as you asked." 

Kami glanced down at the child and nodded. "Arigatou, Gohan-kun.   
Why don't you go get Mr. Popo and we can start." 

"Hn!" Gohan darted toward the palace, but was stopped short when   
he ran into the rotund man. "Oof! Oh, hey, Mr. Popo-san. I was just coming   
to get you." 

"And I was just coming out to join everyone. Good deal, hmm?" 

Gohan rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess. C'mon, I want to   
hear what Kami-sama has to say!" He darted ahead of Mr. Popo. 

He watched Gohan run to rejoin the group, letting out a sigh at the   
child's exhuberance. "If you knew what Kami-sama was going to say, you   
wouldn't be so excited to hear the news." 

As Mr. Popo joined the group of warriors at Kami's side, everyone   
quieted down and turned their attention to the green Namekian. "I had   
hoped Piccolo would have joined us, and for Goku to be back, but it is of no   
consequence." He looked around at the senshi's faces: some looked serious,   
some alight with mild interest, and one was partially away from the group.   
He had his eyes closed and an indifferent scowl pasted upon his face; Kami   
could tell, though, the saiya-jiin prince was listening. 

"I gathered you all here tonight because I have some bad news." 

"Is it about Goku, Kami-sama?" Kuririn asked worriedly. 

Kami shook his head. "No, it's not about Goku, but it will concern him   
in the long run, along with the rest of you. I felt something tonight. Dark   
energies are gathering, but I could not tell if they were coming from space   
or from the planet. Before I could get a fix on the location, it disappeared.   
I felt another twinge just before Bulma-san and the others arrived, but it   
too was gone before I could get a fix upon its location." 

"Do you know anything about its energy, Kami-sama?" Bulma   
wondered. "Have you ever felt these 'dark energies' before?" 

He shook his head. "No, I have not. This is something new to me. I   
don't know how far off it is, or when we'll see fruition of these energies, but   
I wanted to let you all know about it. I fear these new energies and enemies   
will be too much for you to handle." 

Startled gasps and grunts rose from the assembled group. Vejiita   
'humphed' and crossed his arms. "Those weaklings may not be able to handle   
it, but nothing can beat the prince of the saiya-jiin." 

Angry shouts directed at the short male were interrupted by Kami   
raising a hand to silence everyone. "Please, minna. Now is not the time to   
bicker amongst yourselves. But Vejiita-san is right. The Chikyuu senshi are   
not as strong as the saiya-jiin senshi. And I hate to admit this, but there is   
nothing I can do but tell you to train as hard as you can to improve what   
skills you have." Numerous complaints arose from Kami's comment. Vejiita   
just sat there with a big smirk plastered completely across his face. For   
once though, he did not comment. 

Kami held up his hand again and sighed. "And, this goes against my   
better judgment," he looked over to the prince and the child and signaled to   
both of them to come closer. Gohan went willingly, and much to Kami and   
everyone else's surprise, Vejiita followed, albeit with a frown upon his   
features. "I am giving you both a present. Be wise in how you use this gift,   
for I can take it away as well as give it." The two saiya-jiin nodded. Kami   
placed a hand on each of the males forehead and chanted something in   
Namekian. There was a bright flash, and everyone shielded their eyes to   
prevent complete blindness. When everyone came back around to the clear,   
bright colors of Kami's Lookout, they stared at the two saiya-jiin in front of   
them. 

For two furry brown tails were waving back and forth in the calm   
breeze. 

*******   



	3. A Trip Through Time

_A Tail To Remember_   
_Chapter Two: A Trip Through Time_   
  


Kuririn was the first to speak. He backed away from the two   
Saiya-jiin in shock. "Kami-sama, how could you do that? You know   
what will happen when the full moon is out! We'll have two Oozaru   
running around trashing Chikyuu!" 

"Yeah! Just what we need, two giant monkeys wreaking   
havoc!" Yamucha snorted. Bulma whacked him alongside the head   
with her hand. 

"Chill, guys! Gohan wouldn't do that, would you, Gohan-chan?"   
Bulma asked. 

Gohan, in shock, was busy examining his tail in his hands.   
"Well, I, uh..." 

Vejiita wrapped his tail around his waist and crossed his   
arms. "The brat doesn't know about the Oozaru transformation! He   
doesn't remember from the other times he transformed. Unlike the   
pathetic third class brat, I can control my Oozaru form." He   
sniffed his nose in the air walked away from the group. 

"Vejiita-san, wait." Kami called out to him. Vejiita stopped   
but did not turn around. "I also need to ask you for a favor." 

"What do you want now, Namek-seijiin? This had better be   
worth my time and energy." 

Kami continued slowly. "I am aware that you can control your   
Oozaru form. What I am asking you is to show Gohan and Goku how   
to control theirs, as well." 

Vejiita turned around and glared at Kami. "Why would I want   
to do that?" He pointed at the young child. "I could care less for   
the gaki! He can destroy this miserable planet as much as he wants."   
He frowned as he realied what Kami asked of him. "And what about   
Kakarotto? You said both of them." 

"Actually, as I gave you two back your tails, I gave all the   
Saiya-jiin back their tails." 

Gasps of disbelief arose from the others. "What? Nani?" 

Kami continued calmly. "I can give you something else in   
return for training the two." 

Vejiita crossed his arms and frowned. "A bribe? You can't   
buy the Saiya-jiin no Ouji, Namek-seijiin." He turned back around   
with a snort. 

Kami smiled. "But I think this would be of interest. Does the   
name, 'Seiika,' ring a bell?" 

The prince stiffened dramatically. In a flash, he stood in   
front of Kami, gripped the front of his robes, and lifted him off the   
ground. He growled in the face of the green creature. "What do   
you know of her? Tell me now, Namek-seijiin or your life is extinct!" 

The others were surprised at the reaction the one name   
could cause in the diminutive male. Mr. Popo recognized the name   
Kami mentioned. "Are you sure about that, Kami-sama? Do you want   
to do this?" 

Kami looked over to the black-skinned male and nodded his   
head. Mr. Popo sighed and nodded back. Kami refocused his   
attention on Vejiita, who was getting angrier with every second he   
didn't speak. He spoke quietly. "Calm down, Vejiita-san. Put me   
down, and I'll tell you about Seiika. And Serori." 

Vejiita stared into Kami's eyes, trying to find the truth   
buried within them. Kami returned the stare with an air of peace   
and calm. Vejiita saw what he was looking for, and set Chikyuu's   
guardian down and backed up a few paces. "Speak, Namek-seijiin.   
Now." 

Kami sat down at a nearby table, and motioned for everyone   
else to get comfortable. Vejiita snorted and continued to glare at   
Kami, his eyes not wavering. Kami focused on the Prince and   
motioned him to take a seat. Vejiita stared down the god and finally   
consented, with the deepest scowl ingrained within his features. 

"Will you teach Goku and Gohan how to control the Oozaru   
forms?" Vejiita snorted but finally consented with a small nod. 

Bulma spoke with a confused tones. "Kami-sama, who is this   
Seiika and Serori? Fruit and Celery?" She chuckled a little. "They   
almost sound like Saiya-jiin names." 

Kami smiled. "Well, you are right, Bulma-san. They are   
Saiya-jiin. And they are on Chikyuu." Everyone around the table   
gasped in astonishment, including Vejiita. 

"But I thought Vejiita-sei was demolished by Friezer. How   
can there be any more Saiya-jiin, Kami-sama?" Kuririn asked   
confusedly, albeit with a little fear. He didn't want to have to worry   
about any more Vejiita's or Radiitzu's or Nappa's running around. 

"Because, baka, they were off Vejiita-sei when it was   
destroyed." Vejiita sneered at the bald monk. His gaze turned   
reflective for a moment. "But I had thought their pod was   
destroyed by Friezer's scouter ship." 

Kami nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I believe their pod was   
damaged, at least it looked that way when I saw it enter the   
atmosphere." 

"But," Bulma asked impatiently, "who are they? Why did   
Vejiita-baka react so strongly to the names? Especially Seiika's?" 

Kami turned to the Prince with a small smile. "Why don't you   
ask Vejiita-san for yourself?" Everyone turned toward him in   
anticipation of the answer to recent question. Vejiita just 'humphed'   
and closed his eyes, ignoring everyone in the room. 

Bulma started to get mad. She stood and shouted at the top   
of her lungs, "Vejiita no baka! Tell us now or no food for a month!" 

Everyone jumped and ducked under the table. Vejiita just   
opened his eyes and scowled in her direction. "Onna! Must you yell   
at all times? Soon I'll be completely deaf." He sighed and the scowl   
momentarily left his face. He spoke softly. "Seiika is...my sister.   
My twin, actually." 

Bulma's anger left as fast as it came. She sat down with an   
astonished look on her face. "Your...your sister? Twin? How?" 

Everyone peeked up from underneath the table and looked in   
the direction of the Prince. He scowled at the attention he was   
receiving and scoffed in Bulma's direction. "I think you can figure   
that out, Onna." He spoke in a condescending manner. "Or would you   
like me to explain it to you?" 

Bulma blushed furiously and for once didn't comment.   
Chou-tzu, who had been quiet so far, spoke up in his tinny voice. "So   
where are they now, Kami-sama?" 

Tenshinhan finished his friend's set of questions. "And how   
strong are they? 

Everyone looked at Kami for the answer. It was a question   
that was flashing across everyone's mind. Kami cleared his throat   
and spoke. "Well, they are in Tokyo. The Nerima district to be   
exact. That's where the pod crash-landed." 

"There are other Saiya-jiin in Japan?" Yamucha wondered out   
loud. "Why haven't we been able to sense their ki before?" 

"Well," Kami coughed, "I suppressed their ki so no one could   
sense their difference. They were raised as Humans, by Humans,   
and they do not know about their true nature." 

"So there are two untrained Saiya-jiin running around   
Tokyo?" Kuririn exclaimed. 

Yamucha chuckled ruefully. "I feel sorry for the citizens of   
Tokyo." Others joined in his amusement. 

"Actually, they are not untrained," Mr. Popo explained. "Both   
are trained in the Art. Serori is the best in his area, and has   
accessed some of his Saiya-jiin heritage. Seiika has been trained,   
but not as extensively and aggressively as Serori. Seiika is now   
known as Tendo Akane, and Serori is known as Saotome Ranma." 

The others were quiet as they pondered this information.   
Suddenly Kuririn jumped up. "Saotome? Ranma? I've heard that   
name before! He's supposed to be the best martial artist in Tokyo!"   
Kuririn looked confused for a moment. "But he's only a teenager. He   
couldn't be the same one. Vejiita-sei blew up when Goku was a baby,   
right?" 

Kami nodded solemnly. "Yes, the Ranma that you are talking   
about is the same one that is also Serori. True, he is only a   
teenager, but he is the best in all of Tokyo. Some of his exploits   
you may have heard about might be a little exaggerated, but they   
are probably as close to the truth as you'd get, without going to the   
sources themselves. They have had some wild adventures. And   
Ranma has improved his skills with each encounter." 

"Just like a Saiya-jiin," Vejiita smirked. 

Kami nodded. "Yes, he does exhibit some traits. Speed,   
agility, and the love of a fight." Kami chuckled. "I couldn't suppress   
everything. Although, Akane, or Seiika, has shown the spirit of her   
true nature quite often." 

"What do you mean by that, Kami-sama?" Gohan asked. 

Vejiita snorted loudly. "What the Namek-seijiin means is   
that Seiika has a temper." He looked at Bulma. "And I can bet it's a   
rather short and nasty one, too. It always was." 

She just sniffed in return and turned toward Kami. "So why   
are they so young? Shouldn't they be the same age as Goku and   
Vejiita? Seiika...Akane should be the same age as Vejiita, since they   
are twins, correct?" 

Kami shrugged his shoulders. "I do not know why they are   
younger. They arrived on Chikyuu a few years after Goku crashed."   
Kami recalled the night with a faint smile on his wrinkled face. His   
gaze drew itself inward as he retold the night's events. "At that   
time, I did not know about Vejiita-sei's fate. I did know that all   
they would cause was trouble. For when they arrived, they almost   
immediately transformed into Oozaru and started to demolish the   
surrounding area. You see, there was a full moon out when they   
landed..." He broke out of his self-induced trance and looked around.   
"It would probably be better if I let you experience it for   
yourselves." Kami stood up and with a flash, everyone in the room   
disappeared. 

********** 

_~Chikyuu, Tokyo, Nerima. Sixteen years before the present date, or_   
_Several years after Goku's crash-landing~_

Four adults crowded in awe and in fear around a gigantic   
crater a rather small, metallic sphere created when it dropped out   
of the sky. The crater that the sphere rested in was deep, and the   
adults had to peer through the dust and dirt that clouded their   
vision to see what had landed in the backyard of two of the four's   
residence. 

Without the four Chikyuu natives' notice, nine beings popped   
into existence above the crash site. They hovered in the air and   
observed the reactions of the four on the ground silently. Kami   
spoke in normal tones. "We are merely observers here. They can   
not hear, see, or sense us. Ranma and Akane have just landed, and   
the four adults down there are Tendo Soun and Kikuko, and Saotome   
Genma and Nodoka." He pointed out each as he spoke. "These will   
become Ranma and Akane's adopted parents. Soun and Kikuko   
already have two daughters, and Genma and Nodoka just lost a son in   
the childbirth process." 

The others remained silent and watched attentively as the   
four adults on the ground muttered to themselves. Suddenly, the   
hatch on the spacepod opened, and a metallic voice could be heard   
over the wind: **_::transport complete. destination--chikyuu_**   
**_achieved. shutting down cryo-stasis process._**   
**_estimation to reanimation complete: fifteen_**   
**_standard minutes. beginning reanimation now.::_** "So, they were cryo-genetically frozen?" Bulma wondered.   
"That would explain why they are so young. They didn't age while   
they were in space." 

Vejiita nodded in agreement as he stared transfixed upon the   
scene below him. "All pods were equipped with the cryo-stasis   
process for long-range space travel." He spoke quietly, his gaze   
steady on the scene. "Cryo-stasis was only activated for extremely   
long distances or if something went wrong with the module." 

Everyone remained quiet as they watched the two males   
venture down into the crater to check out the space pod. The males   
walked around the pod, examining it, pointing out different things to   
each other. Suddenly the computer voice broke through the males'   
discussion: **_::reanimation process complete. starting_**   
**_resurrection process now. estimation to_**   
**_complete awareness--one standard minute.::_** "Resurrection process?" Kuririn wondered aloud, as a puff of   
gas was released into the air surrounding the module. The two males   
backed away quickly. The females above them called out to them in   
worried tones. 

"A gas to wake them up, baka." Vejiita snorted loudly. He   
became quiet, though, when he saw what happened next. The gas   
had dissipated. After a few moments of tense silence, a small hand   
tentatively curled around the edge of the door and two smoky blue   
eyes framed by unruly black hair peeked above the frame. The blue   
eyes quickly disappeared back behind the door and a set of dark   
brown ones replaced the blue. 

Vejiita gasped at the sight of the brown eyes. "Seiika..." he   
whispered. Bulma, who was next to him glanced in his direction at   
his hushed word. 

More of Seiika's face revealed itself as she became bolder.   
She looked about and stepped out of the pod, with Serori   
immediately right behind her. The girl, Seiika, wore a deep-purple   
dress with gold-threaded accents around the waist, collar, sleeves   
and bottom hem. A thin circle of gold twisted around her forehead.   
The boy, Serori, wore white armor, with gold accents. A bodysuit   
underneath the armor was the same deep purple as the girl's. 

Around both their necks hung a fairly large pendant. They both had   
furry brown tails that were wrapped and tucked around their waists.   
The girl had shoulder-blade length dark brown hair pulled back at   
the nape and the boy had his free, sticking upwards and outwards,   
angling towards the right in three thick branches. Ranma/Serori   
said something to Akane/Seiika and she responded in a language that   
no one understood, except the Prince. 

"What did they say?" hissed Bulma. 

He floated down to get a better look at the children. "He   
basically asked her if she was messed up in the head for getting out   
of the pod so soon. She told him to shut up and that she knew what   
she was doing." Vejiita gave the two young Saiya-jiin a small smile   
and a shake of his head. "They're just as I remember." 

The floating group watched as the Serori and Seiika took in   
their surroundings. They both suddenly froze as they saw the four   
adults staring at them. Serori stepped in front of Seiika and called   
out in a harsh tone to the adults. The four adults looked at each   
other in confusion, not understanding what the young male had said. 

"He said, 'I am Serori, champion of Seiika no Oujo of   
Vejiita-sei. What is your business?'" Vejiita explained before he   
could be asked. 

The two females pushed forward and made soft sounds to   
the two children, beckoning them to come closer. Serori gave them   
a frown and turned toward Seiika. They talked quietly to each   
other, and holding hands, floated out of the pit and level with the   
Humans above them. 

The four adults and the two children stared at each other,   
not knowing where to go from there. The two female adults stepped   
forward again but halted their advance when Serori growled at   
them, and flared his aura into the visible spectrum, a corona of blue   
surrounding the young pair. He moved completely in front of his   
Princess and fell into a ready stance, awaiting any sign of attack.   
The males, recognizing what the young boy was doing, called back   
the females. The females complied reluctantly; when they were   
back even with the males, Serori partially relaxed his stance, and   
wiped out his aura. The smoky blue orbs took in every little detail,   
and was aware of everything. 

Vejiita watched the reactions of both groups on the ground.   
He noted with pride how Serori protected his sister, and gave the   
males a wide smirk when he heard them mention the Art. _ Those_   
_fools don't know how deep they are getting themselves. Just wait_   
_until they transform._

As soon as he finished that thought, he noticed that Seiika   
had looked skyward and taken note of the full moon. She gasped   
aloud and pulled on Serori's arm. He turned around and looked in the   
direction of where she was pointing. At once, both children started   
to breathe hard and change into their Oozaru forms. 

"They're transforming!" Kuririn exclaimed, pointing out the   
obvious. 

Gohan watched in awe and with a touch of fear as the two got   
bigger and hairier, clothes stretching and pulling to meet their new   
bodies' proportions. "Is that what happened when I looked at the   
moon before?" 

Kuririn nodded. "You and Goku both. I imagine Vejiita looked   
that way, too, but I didn't see him transform then." He shuddered a   
bit in remembrance. He then glanced at the moon and then the two   
male Saiya-jiin in his presence. "Kami-sama, why aren't Gohan-kun   
and Vejiita transforming now?" Everyone looked at the child in   
question. 

Kami explained patiently, "We are not officially part of this   
time. The moon's rays will not effect them." 

Gohan patted his form and shivered. "I do feel sorta tingly,   
though." 

"It's just your body's reaction to the two's transformation,   
and the fake-light of the moon," Kami explained comfortingly. "You   
won't change. Not now." Everyone's attention was brought back   
forward when they heard two loud roars. They had finished the   
transformation and were completely Oozaru. Serori-Oozaru and   
Seiika-Oozaru started to methodically rip the surrounding area   
apart; throwing trees, tossing boulders and anything else that   
caught their attention. The four adults on the ground screamed and   
yelled in terror at the sight of the ape-monsters. The males quickly   
started to run away in fear, pulling the females behind them. 

Vejiita laughed at the adults trying to scurry away from the   
rampaging Oozaru. "Don't run, baka! That'll only get their attention   
more!" He roared even louder when Serori-Oozaru stomped his foot   
down in front of the fleeing group, making them fall and trip over   
the gigantic toes. He grasped at his stomach, he was laughing so   
hard. 

Bulma 'walked' down to where the diminutive Prince was   
laughing his head off. She smacked him in the arm, trying to get his   
attention. She only hurt herself in the process. Vejiita did notice   
her there, though, and half laughed, snorted at her. "Don't even try   
to injure me, Onna. You'll only succeed in hurting yourself." 

Bulma rubbed her throbbing hand and scowled in his   
direction. "Then stop laughing at the Humans!" 

He laughed some more. "I'll stop laughing when they give me   
a reason to stop, Onna. And stop ordering me around!" 

"I'll stop ordering you around when you listen to what I say!" 

"And that will be never!" 

"Fine!" 

"Fine!" By this time, the two's tempers were in full flare and   
nothing could get their attention, except for Gohan's shout. 

"Hey, Kami-sama! Here comes...you, or the young you, I guess.   
Boy, that sounds weird." 

And indeed, a slightly younger-looking Kami came barreling   
down from the sky and launched a ki blast at Seiika-Oozaru. She   
just batted the blast away and took a swipe at the flying green   
creature. Serori noticed the Namek-seijiin and bellowed in his   
direction. Kami shot another blast at him, and Serori turned away,   
dodging the missile of ki. It did not hit its target directly, but did,   
in fact, neatly slice off his tail. 

Serori gave one final deafening roar and started to shrink   
and de-transform. The young-Kami looked startled at the   
detransformation but quickly figured out what happened. The next   
blast was aimed at Seiika's tail directly. She was busy snarling at   
the adults on the ground and did not see the blast coming. She, too,   
started to shrink when her tail was severed. Young-Kami hung in the   
night air and watched Seiika shrink down to normal size. The adults,   
once they saw the two children unconscious on the ground, slowly   
inched their way over to the young Saiya-jiin. 

Young-Kami floated down to the group of people and landed in   
a kneeling position in front of the unconscious ones. The adults   
gasped and backed away, thinking that this creature maybe could   
transform, as well, and attack them. Young-Kami just ignored them   
for now and concentrated on the task he was going to complete. He   
placed a hand on each child's head and muttered something under his   
breath. There was a flash of light and after the adults blinked a   
few times, noticed that the green-skinned creature was standing in   
front of them. The females clutched their corresponding male in   
fear. 

Young-Kami smiled at them gently, and spoke in soothing   
tones. The words floated up to everyone's ears. "Don't worry, the   
Saiya-jiin will not transform again. They are exhausted right now,   
and are sleeping off the effects of the night's events." He bent   
down and picked the two sleeping children up. "I have suppressed   
their memories and abilities." He held out the children to the adult   
females. "They are only babies. Would you look after them and   
raise them as your own?" 

The two females came forward and took a child each into   
their arms. They murmured words to the toddlers in their embrace,   
and turned toward the males, offering them a glimpse of the   
sleeping Saiya-jiin. They looked and murmured back to the females.   
They, in turn, nodded at Young-Kami, accepting their new charges. 

"Thank you, all. Love them as your own, and everything will be   
fine." Kami smiled at them again, and flew up into the sky. One of   
the males shouted something at the disappearing Namek-seijiin, but   
did not receive a reply. 

Vejiita floated over to where the adults and children stood in   
a huddle, observing their behavior with the young Saiya-jiin. Bulma   
floated closely behind him. "It looks like they were, or are, in good   
hands," Bulma noted with a smile. Vejiita just snorted and floated   
to where the female was holding Seiika. He stared intensely at the   
adults, and then turned his gaze upon his sister. 

His stare disappeared and it became an almost loving gaze,   
looking her up and down, trying to etch every detail into his memory.   
Bulma came up along side him and watched the Prince get a longing   
look as he tentatively reached out to touch Seiika's cheek. His hand   
passed through her, but she moved in her sleep as a response,   
turning in the direction of his hand. Vejiita grunted as the ability to   
touch was unattainable. Bulma gasped at the child's reaction and   
placed her hand on Vejiita's arm to comfort him. She leaned her   
head against his head and watched as the Prince ran his hand   
through his sister's hair and cupped her cheek lovingly. Seiika gave   
a little sigh in her sleep and the Prince returned it, albeit it was   
louder, and with more longing. Vejiita mumbled something under his   
breath that Bulma couldn't understand and withdrew his hand,   
lingering on the pendant she wore. 

Bulma noticed it too, and asked him about it. "What is that   
pendant, Vejiita-san?" 

"It is the insignia of the Saiya-jiin. It marks you as a   
Saiya-jiin and shows what your status is." The pendant that Seiika   
wore was a stylized silver 'V', slanted to the right. There were   
three gold rings surrounding the top of the first prong of the 'V',   
and a large red ruby rested at the base. He pointed out the   
different features. "Each ring symbolizes a class. If there are no   
rings, that means you're Third class, like Kakarotto and his brat.   
One ring, Second; two rings is First, and Three rings means you are   
an Elite." He pointed out the large red stone. 'The stone is what we   
call a 'Vartat'. It's very rare and signifies royalty." Vejiita then   
reached behind him, and from nowhere, pulled out his own insignia.   
It was exactly the same as Seiika's, but a little more battle-worn. 

Bulma jumped slightly at the appearance of the necklace.   
Where did he pull that from? She moved behind him, patting him   
down, searching for a hidden pocket. Vejiita blushed and scowled at   
the attention Bulma was giving him and swatted her away with his   
tail. 

"Never mind where I pulled it from. I'll explain about it later,   
if I feel like it." He tied his insignia around his neck and tucked it   
into his bodysuit, away from curious and prying eyes. 

She came around to the front again. "You'd better. If I   
didn't know better, you pulled that from sub-space." He scowled and   
turned his attention away from her, crossing his arms. She smirked   
and crossed her own arms and leaned closer to him. "You did, didn't   
you? You can access sub-space! Why didn't you mention it before?" 

He sneered at her. "Why would I want to, Onna? It's no   
concern of yours what I can do or cannot do." Bulma was going to   
start into him, but they noticed that the adults were leaving. They   
turned and watched as both Seiika and Serori were carried inside   
the nearby dwelling. 

Vejiita sighed and stared at the lights that flickered inside   
the house. Bulma leaned up against the sad Prince in a show of   
support. "She's still out there, you know." She spoke quietly. "You   
can meet her again when we get back." 

Vejiita's expression brightened a bit, but returned to the   
familiar, and safe, scowl as he pulled away from Bulma's   
half-embrace. "Don't worry about me, Onna. I will do fine on my   
own." With that, he crossed his arms and floated back up to where   
everyone was watching the house and the Prince silently. They all   
had seen the stony mask of anger Vejiita usually wore torn away   
when he confronted his long-lost twin sister. 

Bulma stared after the scowling Prince and shook her head.   
She floated back up to everyone else and gave the sulking Prince a   
small smile. "Whatever you say, Vejiita-san, whatever you say." She   
turned to Kami. "Are we ready to go back?" He nodded and there   
was another bright flash as everyone disappeared from the night   
sky.   
********** 

_~Kami's Lookout, Chikyuu, Present~_

The arrival back in the present was not as exciting as the   
arrival in the past. Everyone was quiet as they pondered the sights   
and information they received in the last hour or so they were   
time-traveling. 

Bulma spoke first. "You said earlier when you gave back   
Vejiita-san and Gohan-chan's tails back that you gave *all* the   
Saiya-jiin their tails back, right?" 

Kami nodded with a smile. "That I did, Bulma-san." 

Gohan spoke next. "Does that mean Serori and Seiika, I mean   
Ranma and Akane, have their tails back, too?" 

Kami nodded again and smiled wider. "That it does,   
Gohan-kun." 

Vejiita spoke gruffly. "What about their memories and   
abilities?" 

Kami furrowed his forehead in thought. "Those should be   
coming back as well, although they will come slower than the tail."   
He chuckled lightly. "They won't remember all at once, but when   
they wake up in the morning, they will have a surprise waiting for   
them!" 

"You mean their tails, Kami-sama?" Kuririn asked. 

"Yes, that, and they will be starting to remember some things   
from Vejiita-sei and such. They will think it was a weird dream, or   
something to that extent, but their tails will tell them otherwise." 

"Um, Kami-sama?" Gohan asked hesitantly. He was holding   
his tail in his hands. "When is the next full moon?" 

Kami absently scratched his head. 'It'll be in two days,   
Gohan-kun." 

"Will that be enough time for me to learn how to control my   
Oozaru form?" 

Kami nodded soberly. "It should be, Gohan-kun." He turned   
to Vejiita, who was off to the side. "Will it be, Vejiita-san?" 

He looked up at Kami, and then glanced at the young   
Saiya-jiin. He closed his eyes and spoke. "Possibly. If the brat   
actually trains at it seriously." 

Kuririn turned toward the green Namek-jiin. "What about   
Serori and Seiika, I mean Ranma and Akane? Won't they transform,   
too?" 

Kami nodded. "Yes they will, if they look at the full moon.   
That is one reason why I wanted to have Vejiita train young Gohan   
here on how to control his transformation. Hopefully, two Oozaru   
with their minds intact will be able to handle two others without   
awareness. Do you think you both can handle them, Vejiita-san?" 

The Prince scoffed and sneered in his direction. "I don't   
need the brat along to handle two rampaging Oozaru. I am the   
Saiya-jiin no Oujii. They will listen to me no matter what state their   
mind is in." 

"Even Seiika, Vejiita-san?" Bulma asked off on the side,   
giving him a small smile. Vejiita just snorted and turned away from   
the group. 

He called over his shoulder to Gohan. "Be ready at the crack   
of dawn, in the large canyon, brat. We will begin your training,   
then." He turned around and with a flash, grabbed Bulma and shot   
over the edge of the palace, to return to Capsule Corp.   
************ 

_~The Expanse of Space, Far Side of Pluto ~_

A lone spaceship skirted the edge of the galaxy, paused, and   
set a course for the only inhabited planet in the galaxy of Sol. A   
smaller, blue-tinged, oxygen-rich planet third from the gaseous ball   
of light. 

Within the ship's hallowed passageways, its inhabitants   
bustled around in activity. Warriors trained, scientists studied,   
children played, and the captain prepared. Prepared for what some   
may ask? What he prepared for was the advancement of his race. 

For that was what he and his crew and civilians did; they   
advanced their race. 

Now, that doesn't sound like a bad way to lead your life. 

Actually, it sounds rather admirable. Advancement for knowledge   
and growth always leads to a better life, doesn't it? 

Usually. 

But how the crew and the captain of the battleship, _Tokemomu,_   
accomplished this left a foul taste in many people's mouths.   
They did, indeed, live up to their name. 

_Assimilate._

For the battleship _Tokemonu_ was on a mission of mercy, or so   
they thought. They were on a mission to further their race by   
capturing the natives of unsuspecting planets and changing them into   
their own race. For they thought that if you were not a part of   
them, you were inferior. 

How considerate. 

For they were the Kiseichuu Hachi. 

And they were on their way to Chikyuu.   
**********   



	4. Questions Asked Questions RaisedLIME

_A Tail To Remember_   
_Chapter Three: Questions Asked, Questions Raised_   
__ __

_~Chikyuu, Several hundred feet above the ground~_

Bulma gasped as her breath was taken away when she was   
whisked away from the floating palace. She reacted only by instinct   
as she wrapped her arms around Vejiita's neck and molded her body   
to his, getting as close as possible to him within his embrace. Vejiita   
grunted and held her tighter, adjusting his grip for her body's   
movements. 

Bulma caught her breath and looked around. They were flying   
through a bank of puffy clouds. She looked into her ride's face,   
studying his features and characteristics. She brushed a lock of   
hair out of her eyes and touched Vejiita's cheek. He looked startled   
at her touch and quickly recovered, forming his usual scowl of   
displeasure. 

"You know, you do look similar, Vejiita. I can see some of the   
same facial characteristics." 

"You're talking nonsense, Onna. I resemble the King, and   
Seiika resembles his mate." 

"You mean your mother?" 

"I meant what I said, baka. She resembles his mate. I had   
no mother. That would imply I was born, and nurtured in such a   
fashion." 

She looked surprised at his comment. "What do you mean you   
weren't born? Everyone is 'born', in one way or another." 

He scowled a bit but continued anyway. "Saiya-jiin do not   
grow their spawn within a female's womb. They have the capability   
for it, yes, but in the higher-classes, the fetus is removed as soon as   
possible and put into incubation tanks, where they will grow until   
they are ready to handle the harsh environment that Vejiita-sei   
offered. The females were warriors as well, and you did not know   
when a fight or battle would break out. It could cause harm to the   
child, so they were removed. The tanks sped the process as well,   
cutting gestation time in half. In the tanks, a gestation period is   
only three months. Within the womb, the spawn is 'born' about six   
months after fertilization." They broke through the cloud bank and   
soared through the stars, Vejiita unconsciously slowing down. 

"So you and Seiika grew in the incubation tanks?" 

He nodded. "Hn." 

She looked into his face, and unconsciously curled closer to   
him. "Do you ever miss Vejiita-sei, Vejiita? The people, and the   
planet?" 

He snorted. "Why would I have useless feelings about some   
debris floating in space? Onna, you talk too much!" 

"Vejiita..." He just ignored her and directed his attention   
straight ahead. 

"Okay, then." Bulma knew she wouldn't get an answer for her   
question, but asked another instead. "On Chikyuu, multiple births   
are fairly common. Were they on Vejiita-sei?" 

He shook his head and glanced at her as they swooped around   
in the sky. "Iie. Actually, they are very rare. The scientists were   
surprised to find two fertilized fetuses with the King's mate's womb.   
They heralded it as a sign of the Legendary Super Saiya-jiin being   
born." He smirked at her. "And they were right. I will become the   
Legendary Super Saiya-jiin, no matter what." 

She smiled at him and rested her head on his shoulder.   
"Sure, Vejiita-san, whatever you say." She curled closer to him,   
tucking her nose into the grooves of his well-defined neck. She   
buried and wrapped a hand within his stiff, wiry, black hair. The   
small female closed her blue eyes and quickly fell asleep, lulled into   
slumber by his heartbeat and his warmth. 

Vejiita looked down at the blue-haired female he carried in   
his arms and scowled at her. But he couldn't keep the scowl for long.   
It melted into a tender gaze that drifted over her form, settling on   
her facial features. He burned the delicate structure of her   
peaceful face into his memory as she slept on, unaware of the rest   
of the world around her. He unconsciously held her even closer than   
before and kept going into the night. 

***** 

They arrived back at Capsule Corp, and Vejiita touched down   
on Bulma's bedroom balcony. He pushed open the unlatched door   
with his hip, careful not to disturb the delicate cargo nestled in his   
arms. He laid her down on her bed as carefully as he could, but she   
wouldn't let go of his hair. Gently, he pried her fingers open and   
pulled her arm down. He lifted her up to get at the covers and   
brought them over her, tucking her in for the night. 

The Saiya-jiin Prince hesitated, and sitting on the bed next   
to her, he bent over and brushed his lips over her exposed neck,   
flicking his tongue across the vein that pulsed there. He pulled back   
and stared into her face, brushing a stray lock of hair away from   
her cheek. "What have you done to me, Onna?" he whispered out   
loud, his black gaze burning a trail on her porcelain skin. "Why does   
my stomach churn at the sight of you? Why do my fingers tremble   
when I sense you are near? What are these sensations that block   
my brain from rational thought when you speak to me?" 

He was about to stand and leave, but Bulma's hand on his arm   
froze him in place. He watched as she opened her eyes and spoke,   
her own voice a husky whisper. "What have you done to me, Otoko?   
Why do my toes tingle when you speak to me? Why does my spirit   
ache when you are not near? Why does my blood boil when you look   
my way?" She raised her hand from his arm, and touched his cheek,   
her silky fingers caressing the olive skin softly. He closed his eyes   
and leaned into the touch. 

She brought up her other hand and drew his face down to   
hers for a kiss. She pressed her lips upon his and poured through   
that one gentle touch, skin upon skin, all of her pent-up emotions   
that she was afraid to show, for her fear she would be shunned and   
rejected by the Dark Prince was great. 

Vejiita didn't know what to make of the motion, but knew   
enough to know how to adapt to return the kiss, albeit a little   
clumsily. He sensed that this was a big step for her, and responded   
accordingly. He poured into his first kiss all of his locked-away   
emotions for her; the own fear of ridicule and rejection, and the   
shame for not knowing how to express them correctly in the first   
place. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him closer,   
deepening the kiss with her actions. 

His eyes flew open when he felt her mouth open and her   
tongue slide across his lips. Her tongue parted his slack lips and   
slipped inside, caressing and exploring the unknown and undiscovered   
depths. He started to pull away, but to his surprise, Bulma's grip   
held him fast. She sped up her ministrations of the Dark Ouji, and   
he finally gave in to her temptations, plunging into her mouth with   
his own slick appendage, gently battling with her corresponding   
muscle for dominance of the black orifaces. 

His hands began to roam on their own, touching, teasing and   
exploring her hair, neck, and shoulders. He finally broke free of her   
grip and released her mouth, pulling away slightly to look into her   
face; her usually pale features brightly flushed with nervousness   
and arousal. He knew his was in the same state, and did nothing to   
hide such a fact. 

He panted above her, trying to regain the breath that had   
been stolen in the virigin exchange. Bulma gave him a soft smile and   
smoothed back his hair, only for it to bounce right back into place.   
She giggled at the stubborn locks that were in synchronization with   
his temperment; she brushed her hands across his forehead, tracing   
the permanent scowl lines that were etched in his soft skin. He   
made the crevices into trenches and she let out another giggle. Her   
hand and fingers ventured lower and combed through his bristly   
eyebrows; the tips caressing the thin eyelashes that lined the lids.   
Vejiita let out a quiet moan as she slowly brought her lips up to   
brush the nobby ridge where they met. 

His groan deepened to a primal, growling sound--almost a   
thick purr--within the back recesses of his throat as he buried his   
face in the curves of her neck. He brought his teeth into play and   
gave her light, feathery nips along her creamy neck and collarbone,   
his tongue lightly retracing their path. Bulma moaned in response,   
and buried her hands in his thick mane of hair, encouraging him   
without words to continue with what he was doing. 

Switching sides, he dragged his sharp canines across her   
neck, feeling the thick veins pulse with her lifeblood under his   
wandering tongue. He moved lower, to her shoulders, nipping a path   
all the way down. He teased the moistened skin with his gloveless   
fingers, the tips barely brushing across her skin. Bulma gasped at   
the touch and she called out his name, her eyes screwed shut as the   
sensations quickly rendered her senseless . She writhed under him,   
trying to control the sweeping emotions that flew across her   
hyperactive synapses. He drew back, gazing into her pleasure driven   
features, studying her, searching for a sign. He just wasn't sure   
what sign he was looking for. 

Bulma opened her eyes when she felt Vejiita stop teasing her   
neck. She looked into the searching face of the male next to her,   
his midnight-hued eyes boring into her own twilight-hued ones. She   
threw him a grin and tilted her head slightly to one side, returning   
his stare with an equal amount of force and passion. 

Vejiita took that as the sign he was looking for. He broke the   
gaze of her and honored her with a gentle smile, a rare sight for the   
Ouji. He lowered himself again and giving the base of her neck a   
light lick and a small kiss, he bared his teeth and bit down, breaking   
the thin skin with his sharp canines, creating a thin river of red   
blood. He quickly lapped it up with his tongue and slowly sucked on   
the wound, drawing out the excess life-giving essence. His eyes   
rolled back in his head as the thick fluid poured down his throat, the   
heady taste rich to his senses. 

Bulma was not expecting him to bite her and she cried out in   
shock and in pain. The painful sensations quickly changed for the   
better as she purred under his careful attention to the site of the   
wound, tingles shooting out from her neck, bouncing all over her   
body with each sweep of his tongue and each draw of his firm lips.   
She began to pant, the excitement he stirred deep within her   
threatened to send her over an edge she had never experienced with   
this male. 

Vejiita pulled himself away from Bulma's neck, reluctantly   
disconnecting himself from the addictive drink. The scent of her   
blood filled his nose as he took in a deep, calming breath. But also   
within that one intake, his keen sense of smell detected another   
change--the scent of Bulma's arousal. He smirked at her, and with   
one arm, pulled Bulma into his lap; straddling her across his legs so   
she sat face-to-face with him. He turned his head away from her   
and exposed his neck. "Mark me, Bulma, as I have Marked you." 

She stared at his tanned face, his black eyes closed in   
anticipation of her action. She touched his muscled neck, and the   
cords of steel flexed from tension. "I won't be able to break the   
skin; my teeth aren't as sharp as yours." 

His voice was harsh with emotion, and he squeezed his eyes   
shut in concentration. "You will, Onna. My ki is low enough. Just do   
it." With an expression of doubt, she leaned forward and brushed   
her lips across his skin. He shuddered at the tingly sensation she   
created, but remained as still as possible. She kissed his neck,   
jawline, and shoulders, running her tongue along the same path.   
Vejiita growled deep in his throat, and gained a response of a purr.   
He urged her to continue by turning his head even more, straining   
the veins and arteries near the surface. They bulged with each beat   
of his heart. Concentrating on one spot at the base of his neck,   
right above the shoulder blade, Bulma sucked on the area, softening   
the skin and drawing the blood closer to the surface. Without giving   
Vejiita any early warning, she bared her small teeth and sank her   
own incisors deep into the fleshiness of his neck, puncturing the   
tanned skin. Bulma slowly lapped up the blood that flowed from the   
flesh wound, noting that Saiya-jiin blood had a sweeter taste to it,   
rather than the metallic taste human blood was known. She kissed   
the Mark she created, taking special care of tiny puncture wounds,   
forming a small circle. The blood had stopped flowing and she finally   
looked up into the face of Her Prince. 

Vejiita did get caught by surprise when she finally made the   
Mark--he sucked in his breath and purred contentedly and his hands   
gripped Bulma's waist tighter. A warm, pleasant tingling sensation   
started at the sight of the wound, traveling throughout the rest of   
his body, sending shivers up and down his spine. He opened his onyx   
eyes and turned into His Princess' sapphire ones staring into his own. 

"You know what this means, Onna, right?" Bulma hesitated   
for a moment, thinking of what their actions actually meant, both in   
a symbolic and physical nature. She nodded her head in response,   
not breaking her gaze. "You are mine, now. And I am yours. We   
have begun the Mating Ceremony. Nothing can sever these ties.   
They are eternal." She brought up her hands and drew his face   
closer to hers for a searing kiss. He returned it willingly, but soon   
broke the contact. He looked deep into her eyes and gently enclosed   
her nose between his teeth, and waited for her reaction, and   
response. 

Soon, Vejiita felt, and with no hesitation on her part, Bulma   
clasp his chin within her own set of small teeth, gripping his flesh in   
a gentle hold. They stayed that way for several moments, and   
Vejiita released the 'kiss.' He wrapped her in his powerful arms and   
rested his chin on her shoulder, sighing quietly. 

Bulma wrapped her own arms around his chest and returned   
the sigh, her fingers caressing the hard muscles of his back. They   
sat there, quiet, content to just bask in each other's presence. 

She was the first to break the silence. "So, where do we go   
from here?" 

"Does it matter?" 

She pulled back so she could see his expression. "Of course   
it does, Vejiita." He rolled his eyes. She thought for a moment.   
"You said the...Marking...was the beginning of the Mating Ceremony."   
Bulma blinked at the word 'Mating.' But she shook her head, deciding   
to think about the term later. "What's the rest?" 

He closed his eyes in concentration, remembering learned   
lessons from the past. "The Bond, itself, is in its infancy. It will be   
complete when the Ceremony is performed. There are three stages   
to the Ceremony. The Marking, the Bonding, and the Union." His   
cheeks tinted a slight pink, and he bowed his head slightly. 

Bulma looked at him confusedly. "And we just did the   
Marking?" He opened his eyes and nodded. "What is involved with   
the other two?" 

He sighed, but continued, knowing she needed to know this.   
"The Bonding is a ceremony that is performed, much like the   
exchange of vows your human customs use. And the Union...is the   
'physical completion' of the Ceremony." 

She scrunched her face in confusion. "Physical completion?"   
Her eyes widened with recognition as she saw him blush deeper. "Oh!   
Physical completion!" Her lips parted, showing gleaming teeth, and   
Bulma wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing the length of her   
torso up against his chest. "I just might be ready for the next step,   
Vejiita-chan," she purred at him. 

He blushed even deeper and purred back at her, nuzzling her   
jawline and ear. "I can tell you are, Onna, but I am not." Her eyes   
widened as a thought crossed her mind. He scowled as he read her   
expression. "The Ceremony that must be performed for the Bonding   
to be complete needs to be prepared and readied. It can not just be   
performed spontaneously. I must ready myself for it, and so must   
you." 

Her expression softened and she leaned forward to nuzzle   
his ear, and brush it with her lips. "Forget the ceremony--let's   
elope!" 

His response to her offer was a throaty growl, and he pushed   
her back and stood up, scooping her legs up in his arms. She   
squealed and latched her arms around his neck. He walked around   
the bed and laid her back down in her original position of the night.   
The Prince stood up, drinking in the complete sight of her. He bent   
down and bit her nose again; she responded in kind and wrapped her   
arms around his neck. He released her nose and unwrapped her   
arms. He stood up and pulled the blankets over her, re-tucking her   
in for the night. 

Bulma blinked in surprise. She definitely wasn't expecting   
him to do that. She silently cursed his heritage and pride.   
"Vejiita..." 

He smirked at her. "Not tonight, Onna. I have to train that   
brat at dawn, remember? Get some sleep." He turned to leave and   
retire in his room, but Bulma called out to him. 

"Vejiita, matte." He stopped and turned around, a small   
frown flashing across his features. 

"Nani?" 

She patted the spot next to her in the king-size bed. "Stay   
with me, tonight." He hesitated, and shook his head. "Onegai?" 

He watched her expression get doe-eyed, and felt his resolve   
crumble. He gave her a giant scowl and turned to the attached   
bathroom. "Fine, Onna. Let me shower first." He closed the door   
and Bulma giggled as she tore off the blankets. 

She opened a set of drawers and changed into a pair of   
flowered silk pajamas. She heard the water start to run and ran   
into Vejiita's room, retrieving a clean pair of boxers, his normal   
sleeping attire. She slipped into the very steamy bathroom and   
placed them on the vanity, along with a fresh, fluffy towel. She let   
out another giggle when she flushed the toilet on her way out,   
making the water go extremely cold. Vejiita let out a string of   
curses and peeked around the curtain to see Bulma closing the door.   
He cursed again and continued with his shower. 

When he finished and returned to Bulma's bedroom, he was   
greeted with the sight of her sitting up in bed, a soft light on the   
night stand haloing her body. He cursed himself mentally for   
resisting such a sight. She gave him a shy smile and watched him   
climb into bed next to her. She turned off the light and began to   
get comfortable for the night. 

Vejiita watched her form as she turned the light off. He felt   
her move close to him and he lifted his arm to let her curl into his   
body heat. He inhaled her scent--apples and a spice of some kind.   
But what he savored most of all was her natural scent--she   
definitely was all female--and still aroused, but that scent was   
beginning to fade. He cursed himself once more for having such a   
temptation, right in front of him--a willing temptation. And his. His   
alone. He would prepare and preform the Mating Ceremony as soon   
as possible--the tension in his stomach and in his soul would not let   
the Bond go uncompleted for long. He buried his nose in her hair   
and breathed deeply, covering himself that that intoxicating aroma.   
He would never get enough. Vejiita then pulled the small female in   
front of him closer, wrapping his arm securely around her tiny waist   
and his tail around her leg. 

Bulma snuggled close to his muscular body and felt contented   
and safe. She reached for his free arm and wrapped it around her   
neck, using his massive bicep for a convenient pillow. She breathed   
in his scent; fresh-smelling from the shower with a hint of   
tantalizing male-musk and...apples? She realized that he must have   
used her shampoo. She gave a sigh of contentment and closed her   
eyes. 

She turned her head and caught the corner of his slightly   
slack mouth with hers. "Good night, Vejiita-chan." 

"Hn." He paused for a moment. "'Night, Onna." With that,   
they settled in for the night. 

**********   
_~The FarSide of Pluto~_

The officers were assembled on the bridge of the Tokemonu,   
watching the view screen display the Sol system in three dimensions.   
One officer walked around the display, peering at the planets.   
"Enlarge third from center." 

The display filled with an image of a rotating Chikyuu. The   
same officer spoke with disdain. "This is the only planet in this   
system with intelligent inhabitants? How...puny. Look at all the   
water. There's more water on the planet than land. There can't be   
all that many people living on it." 

"Oh, but there are, Violet. They live in thickly concentrated   
cities." 

"Marigold, are they technologically advanced?" Violet asked. 

He shrugged. "They have a lot of room to grow, but they are   
getting there. Some areas are more advanced than others, as in the   
large cities, but that is to be expected." Marigold explained. 

Another voice spoke up. "What about their protection?   
Police force? Warriors?" 

Marigold spoke again. "They have the customary police force,   
Rose, but they are of no consequence. Pathetic nothings." 

"But?" 

Marigold was hesitant. "They do have some warriors, called   
'Zed Senshi.' It's rumored that they were the ones that took on   
Friezer on the now demolished Namek-sei and extinguished him."   
Rose interrupted. "Friezer? I heard that he fell to   
Saiya-jiin." 

Violet perked up. "Vejiita-sei was demolished as well, by   
Friezer. The race is dead." 

A fourth voice spoke, quietly. "Vejiita no Ouji was supposed   
to have worked for Friezer. Could he have been the one?" 

"If it was, Daisy, then we might have a problem." Violet   
sighed, turning away from the display and faced the fifth unnamed   
officer. "What if there are Saiya-jiin on this waterball, Iris? What   
will we do then? The Drones are no match to their ki abilities." 

Iris spoke from the shadows. "We will deal with the   
Saiya-jiin and their Zed senshi when we arrive, if they are there at   
all. The scientists are working on breeding a new strain of Drones at   
this very moment, that produce their own ki, instead of using the   
absorption discs we have in the past." 

The other four nodded and watched Chikyuu rotate silently.   
Daisy spoke up. "What of the Queen on Chikyuu? Will we be   
able to find a suitable Queen?" 

Marigold flipped through the papers in front of him. "Chikyuu   
does have its strong females. We should find a suitable host for the   
Queen to use with no problems." He looked up at Iris. 

Iris nodded. "All right, then. Send the first set of Scout   
Drones, and we'll see what happens. When would they arrive if   
launched immediately?" 

Violet hit a few keys on a console panel. "If we send Team   
Alpha in the Light Pods, they would arrive on Chikyuu in about a   
week, give a day or so." 

Iris nodded again. "Good. Daisy, prepare your troops. You'll   
follow in their flight. Dismissed." The four surrounding him nodded   
and left the bridge to complete their assigned tasks. Iris continued   
to watch Chikyuu rotate. "Saiya-jiin or no, Chikyuu will become part   
of the Hive. I will see to it personally, if I must." He hit a button   
and Chikyuu disappeared from the screen. 

********** 

_~Capsule Corp, That Same Night~_

Later in the night, while the stars blinked brightly and the   
waxing moon still shne bright in the sky, Vejiita was startled out of   
his slumber by movement next to him. He saw, and felt, Bulma   
tossing around restlessly. He scowled through bleary eyes and   
flipped over. But soon flipped back when he heard her cry out. He   
noticed she was still sleeping, but there was a thin sheen of sweat   
that lined her forehead, and she was restlessly tossing her head   
back and forth, mumbling incoherent words and sounds. 

He reached over and shook her awake. "Onna...Onna. Bulma,   
wake up!" She abruptly sat up, panting. Her eyes darted around   
wildly, not focusing on anything in particular. 

"Stay away, stay away! You won't get her!" 

"What are you talking about, Onna?" 

"Stay back! You won't get her!" She held her arms out in a   
gesture that mimicked her words. She seemed to be protecting   
something to her right. 

Vejiita scowled. "You're talking nonsense! Won't get what?" 

"Oujo! Protect the Princess!" 

Vejiita was officially thoroughly confused. Princess? His   
eyes widened in realization. She was talking about Seiika! He   
grabbed her shoulders. "What about the Princess? Where's   
Seiika?" 

Bulma shook her head and moaned in despair. "Serori's down.   
Goku's down, Vejiita's down! Gohan...Gohan! Transform and protect   
the Princess!" With that, Bulma closed her eyes again and fell back   
down on the bed. 

Vejiita just stared at her in shock. Protect the Princess?   
What creature would be so strong and powerful to knock both him   
and Kakarotto down? And Serori? He frowned down at the woman   
next to him. Why was she saying these things? A thought crossed   
his mind--she was still sleeping! So it was a dream? Vejiita shook   
Bulma again. "Bulma, wake up." 

Bulma slowly blinked her eyes open and rubbed them in   
confusion. "Vejiita? What's wrong? Why did you wake me up?" 

"Wake you up?" He snorted. "Onna, you woke me up! What   
were you dreaming about?" 

She rubbed her eyes again. "Dreaming? I..." A look of   
understanding crossed her face. "I was talking in my sleep again,   
wasn't I?" He nodded impatiently. "I tend to do that. Gomen." She   
looked away sheepishly. 

"What were you dreaming about? You need to remember.   
You must remember!" 

She looked up at the ceiling, trying to remember the wisps of   
her dream. "Let's see, I was eating some chocolate ice cream with   
strawberries...oh wait. I won't get into that one." She giggled. He   
snorted again, and crossed his arms. "Okay, okay. Let's see, I was   
in a meadow. Almost everyone was there. There were these strange   
black and white striped creatures everywhere; some were on the   
ground and some were floating in the air." A faraway look crossed   
her face as she talked. "I watched as the creatures attacked   
everyone. The Chikyuu senshi and some others were the first to   
fall, then a tall male--I don't recognize him. Then you and Goku fell.   
Well, you didn't actually fall, but you stopped moving for some   
reason. The three of you looked different, though. Your hair was   
blond and you had green eyes--quite handsome, actually." 

She gave him a smile. He didn't see or react to it because he   
was staring out into the darkness. "Three Super Saiya-jiin. That   
means I do reach the Super level!" He blinked and looked back at   
Bulma. "Who's the third?" 

She shrugged her shoulders in reply. "I don't know. He was   
standing in front of a short female, though." She furrowed her   
eyebrows. "The female looked a little like you, Vejiita-chan. Maybe   
that's Serori and Seiika?" 

He nodded in agreement. "They probably are, then. Then   
what happened?" 

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the fading wisps of   
her dream. "Gohan arrived with two other males. The other two   
were in Super Saiya-jiin form." She opened her eyes and blinked at   
him. "Two more Saiya-jiin? Super ones, at that?" 

He shook his head. "Never mind that, now. What happened   
to Seiika?" 

Bulma closed her eyes again. "Gohan-chan and the two others   
start trashing these creatures, but the creatures are really strong.   
The two new Saiya-jiin are struck with this green light. And Gohan   
is attacking what looks like the leader, or someone in charge." She   
opened her eyes and shook her head. "That's all I can remember.   
That's when I woke up." She frowned deeply and rubbed her   
temples. "These creatures are what Kami-sama sensed earlier,   
aren't they? When I was younger, I used to have prophetic dreams.   
Nothing big or anything, but it freaked my parents out. They went   
away when I was around eleven or so. But if they're back, that   
means trouble." 

She scooted closer to the male next to her and wrapped her   
arms around him. "Don't leave me, Otoko. Please don't leave me." 

He scowled at her, but seeing tears welling up in her eyes,   
softened his expression and placed an arm around her. "Don't worry,   
Onna. Nothing will take you away from me." His face became stern.   
"Nothing at all." 

"I'll hold you to that, Vejiita." 

He smirked at her. "I know you will. Now, go back to sleep.   
You look like crap." 

She slapped him on the chest lightly. "Shut up, baka. Like   
you look better yourself." He laid down on his back, and pulled her   
down and close to him in the process. She rested her head on his   
broad chest and wrapped a free arm across him. Soon she was   
asleep, but tossing restlessly again. 

Vejiita growled at her tossing and turning, and brought her   
into his arms once again. She woke up at the movement and   
helplessly looked at him. "Gomen nasai. I keep seeing parts of the   
dream." 

He grunted and held her tighter. "Onna, the things I put up   
with for you...If you showed as much violence in a battlefield than   
you do in this bed, even Friezer would have run away screaming."   
She just buried her face in his chest and sighed. Soon, a   
low-pitched humming sound was heard, and Bulma felt Vejiita's chest   
begin to vibrate in unison with the sound. The combination of the   
vibrating, his heartbeat, and the heat he gave off from his body   
quickly lulled her back into sleep. 

Several times she woke up again, but Vejiita's humming put   
her right back to sleep. 

Vejiita, however did not sleep the rest of the night. He   
thought about Bulma's dream and what consequences will befall   
them. He swore mentally to himself about not being ready for an   
attack, even though it hadn't happened yet. Then he remembered   
his 'pupil' in the morning. He smirked and started to dream up   
countless ways to take his frustration out on the brat. Finally, dawn   
broke free of the night, and with a last look and brush of his lips on   
her neck and nose, he vanished from Capsule Corp. and into the   
sunrise, to train his first student to use his tail's abilities properly.   
**************** 


	5. Enter Serori & Akane, or is that Ranma &...

_A Tail To Remember_   
_Chapter 4: Enter Ranma and Seiika, or is it Serori and Akane?_

_~Chikyuu, Nerima, Tendo Dojo, Morning~_

The Sun peeked through the partially closed curtains of the   
sleeping martial artist's window. She snuck in, keeping herself as   
quiet as possible. Creeping up close to him, she gazed upon the   
young male's handsome features, stroking his face lovingly, and tried   
to coax him awake from his deep slumber. She told him of all the   
wonderful things that were in store for him that day. It would be a   
changing point in his life, the Sun promised, one that you will greet   
with open arms and a willing heart. All you need to do is wake and   
greet the morn. 

Ranma just flipped over and snored loudly. 

A dark cloud crossed over the Sun's gaze, mirroring the mood   
the pigtailed male would be in for if he didn't get up that instant! 

He flipped over again, and one of her sunbeams shone directly   
in his eyes. He covered his face with an arm and snorted once, still   
sleeping. The sun snorted back and disappeared behind a bank of   
clouds, giving up on the boy for the morning. He would greet the   
morning--just a little bit later in the day. But she would show him   
who's the boss later, with a well-placed rain cloud. 

The sleeping teenager slept on, unaware of the goings on   
above him. Although he wouldn't be in that restive state for long,   
for the other occupant in the room, Ranma's father, Genma, had just   
awoke and was preparing for the morning's sparring session by   
yawning and scratching himself in several places. He smacked his   
lips once and looked over at the boy, still sleeping soundly. Genma   
put on a fresh gi and an evil smile and began to wake up his son. 

"Ranma, wake up! It's time to train!" Genma bellowed in his   
ear. 

Ranma screamed and jumped eight feet in the air, hitting his   
head on the ceiling. He rebounded back to the floor, landing   
spread-eagled on his futon. "Kuso! Oyaji, what in the hell did you do   
that for? I was sleepin' peaceful-like!" He rubbed his head and sat   
up, glaring at the older male grinning at him. 

"You slept long enough, boy. Let's get started." He   
demonstrated by doing a few toe-touches and jumping up and down. 

Ranma growled and started to stand up. He felt a little   
wobbly, but just took that as an after-effect of the pre-fight flight   
he had. "Fine, Oyaji. Let me change first, and then I'll kick your   
ass." 

"You wish! No time for clothes, boy! Out you go!" He picked   
Ranma up by the front of his t-shirt and threw him out the window   
and into the yard. 

Ranma grabbed his clothes in his flight, and after quickly   
donning his favorite red shirt and black pants, which for some   
reason wouldn't slip on properly. He yanked them on hard, wincing as   
a sharp pain shot up his spine, and continued his flight path outside.   
He shouted a curse into the air and attempted to flip and land on his   
feet. He felt different--for some reason he couldn't achieve his   
normal balance. Something felt off, or wrong. But before he could   
control his landing, it was made for him--face first in the garden.   
Genma bounded out the window after him in pursuit. 

Ranma groaned and spit out a mouthful of dirt. He cursed his   
father again under his breath and laid there, trying to figure out   
why he couldn't assert control over his balance this morning. 

Genma landed in front of the prone Ranma and scoffed at   
him. "What's wrong, Ranma?" Genma needled his offspring. "Not   
awake yet? You're getting lazy, boy! Maybe it's time to go on   
another training journey to cure you of this bad habit!" 

"Yeah, right, Pops." He spit out another clump of dirt and sat   
up. "You wouldn't miss Kasumi's cooking for nothin'. And talk about   
lazy! You were in bed before I was last night." 

"Shut up, boy. Let's get started, or does your mouth need a   
longer workout than the rest of you?" 

Ranma cracked his knuckles. "Fine, then. I can cream ya now   
or later. No difference to me." With that, Ranma leaped up into a   
standing position and ran at his father. 

Only to fall flat on his face, tripping over an unseen obstacle. 

Genma burst out laughing at the boy in the dirt. "Ranma,   
maybe we should restart with the basics today, like walking!" He   
laughed even louder as Ranma glared at him. 

"Will you shut up? Something tripped me up." Ranma stood   
and bent forward, looking for the miscreant root or whatever that   
dared to get in the way and under Saotome Ranma's feet this   
morning. 

Genma slowly stopped laughing and wiped the tears that   
formed from his fit. "Boy, at least you're good for a laugh in the..."   
He trailed off and sobered quickly when he glanced over at his son.   
Ranma had his back to him, but something had caught Genma's eye. 

A furry brown tail was dangling from Ranma's posterior, the   
tip twitching in the morning air. 

Genma began to turn pale and sputter incoherently.   
"What...where...when?" 

Ranma glanced over his shoulder at his father. "What did you   
say, Oyaji? I'll kick your hairy butt in a minute. I just want to see   
what tripped me up." Genma pointed a him and sputtered more, his   
face a ghost-white. "What are you pointing at? Do I have some dirt   
on my butt or somethin'?" Ranma stood up and reached behind him   
to brush off anything that was resting there. His hands found some   
dirt, but when he ventured lower, they also found something that   
felt remarkably like fur. Soft fur. "What the hell? Do I have an   
animal on me?" Ranma grabbed the furry object and yanked. Hard. 

Ranma's scream woke the entire Tendo residence and the   
surrounding neighborhood. 

He gasped for breath, unable to breathe through the   
excruciating pain. He let go and stuck his hands as far away from   
his body as they could go. He spoke quietly and carefully. "Oyaji,   
what in the hell is attached to me?" 

Genma audibly gulped and spoke one word. "Tail." 

Ranma blinked. And blinked again. And once more for good   
measure. "What did...What did you say, Pop?" 

Genma repeated his one word, covering his face with shaky   
hands. His voice cracked as he barely voiced the word. "Tail." 

Ranma swallowed and reached behind him again. "That's what   
I thought you said." He slowly put his hand behind him and, gently   
this time, brought his tail around so he could see it. It was brown, a   
dark chocolate brown with thick black hairs that stuck out   
intermittently. The fur was soft and thick, and he stroked it   
absently. He felt tingles travel up his spine when he went against   
the grain. He brought his hand up to the base and realized it grew   
right out of his spine. That was the reason it hurt like hell when he   
yanked on it. Even though it was completely foreign to him, it did   
feel natural to have one. 

He dropped it and watched as it slowly returned to its   
original position behind him, tip curling sporadically. He turned to   
face his father and asked the all-important question: 

"Why...why do I have a tail, Pop?" 

Genma stuttered and shook his head. "I..." Before he could go   
any further, a scream was heard from inside the house. Both looked   
up to where the sound came from and Ranma snapped to attention. 

"Akane!" 

He jumped up and latched onto the frame of Akane's window,   
which luckily for him, was open. He stared at Akane, who was in a   
familiar position. Her arms were as far away as possible from her   
body and her face had a combination of shock and horror written   
upon her features. His eyes roamed her body, searching for injuries   
and stopped when something grabbed his attention. A furry brown   
tail almost identical to the one he just discovered on his own person   
emerged from her backside, the end twitching frantically. 

Ranma let out a gasp at the sight and that was when the   
other members of the household came barreling in to her room.   
"Akane..." He pointed at the new appendage and stared. Kasumi   
covered her mouth with her hands; Nabiki stared slack-jawed, and   
Soun began to get pale, putting a hand on his cheek. Genma arrived   
and groaned when he saw the matching appendage on his future   
daughter-in-law. 

Akane turned to her family, a stricken look upon her face.   
"Tail...I have tail..." She turned around as Ranma climbed in through   
the window. Her eyes went wide as he walked near her and turned   
around, showing her his own tail. 

She pointed at his new part and gasped. "You...tail...too...you!"   
He nodded and started to speak, but several thumps coming from   
the doorway halted his conversation. Kasumi and Nabiki were looking   
down at their fathers, who had just passed out from shock. 

All four conscious beings muttered, "Oh, my." 

Nabiki looked up at the newly-tailed iinazukes and blinked   
slowly. She turned to Kasumi and asked, "So, when's breakfast?" 

Ranma and Akane both facefaulted, and Kasumi looked up at   
her younger sister and smiled. "Oh, Nabiki-chan!" She turned   
toward the kitchen and called over her shoulder. "It's the same time   
as always!" 

Ranma and Akane greeted the floor once again. They sat   
there, dazed, shaking their heads in disbelief. Nabiki watched the   
two with an amused smile and shook her own. "I have a feeling the   
two lummoxes on the floor here have an explanation on why the two   
of you are crossing the species barrier." She smirked and reached   
down to grab a hold of an arm of her father. "Hmm...I can't wait to   
hear what they have to say." She gave Ranma a thoughtful look. "Do   
you want me to call Auntie Nodoka, Ranma-kun? She might actually   
have an answer to this...the real one, at that." Ranma nodded slowly.   
She smiled and held her free hand out. "Five thousand Yen." 

Both Ranma and Akane scowled. "Nabiki..." Akane growled. 

Nabiki put an innocent look upon her face. "What?" She was   
surprised, though, that when Akane growled, she actually *growled*.   
Nabiki wasn't aware that Akane could actually even make that noise.   
Naturally, she didn't show her surprise outwardly. 

Ranma scowled at her and rumbled deep in his throat. "No   
thanks." He stood up and brushed by her, grabbed his father's arm,   
and dragged him downstairs. "I'll call her myself." She shrugged   
and turned back to her sister, who was still staring at her. She gave   
her a small smile. "See you at breakfast. I'll take 'Tousan   
downstairs." She held onto his arm and pulled him down the stairs,   
following in Ranma's footsteps. 

Akane just watched them leave. She blinked when she heard   
a small squeal coming from her bed. She turned and smiled at   
P-chan, who's eyes darted back and forth from her face to her new   
tail. "P-chan! How's my baby this morning?" She cooed to him. He   
gave her a squeal and jumped into her waiting arms. He snuggled in   
her arms while she scratched a particular spot he enjoyed behind   
his ears. After a few minutes of loving, P-chan jumped down from   
his mistress' arms and made his way out the door. Akane followed   
him out, but turned in the bath. She closed the door and undressed,   
preparing for her morning bath. She scrubbed and rinsed clean   
before stepping into the furo, sighing in contentment as the hot   
water seeped into her bones and muscles. 

Akane began to think about her tail, and what it signified.   
"Hopefully, nothing big. I really, really hope it means nothing big."   
She sighed and held her tail in her hands, smoothing the wet fur   
down. She wrinkled her nose. "Eww. Wet fur smell. Almost as bad   
as Saotome-ojisan in panda form." She petted her tail absently as   
she thought about panda's son, Ranma. It was strange that he had   
one as well as she did. "I just wonder what it means." 

Suddenly, a snatch of a dream popped into her mind.   
********** 

_~Somewhere not yet defined~_

_ Akane stood in a giant hall. She looked around and saw richly_   
_colored tapestries adorned the walls and portraits of people that_   
_she didn't recognize. Thick, deep-purple carpeting covered the_   
_floor. She saw several clumps of people scattered throughout the_   
_vast room. In front of her sat a gigantic throne and an identical, yet_   
_smaller one, flanked each side. In the center throne sat a large_   
_man; his thick black hair stood virtually on end. A goatee framed his_   
_frowning mouth. Bushy eyebrows were drawn together in a deep_   
_scowl. He wore a set of heavy armor and a cape was draped over the_   
_arm of the throne. He had his arms crossed and his eyes closed._

_ Akane turned to her right and saw a young boy, no older than_   
_two, standing next to her, mimicking the man up front. His frown_   
_was as deep and his scowl as dark. Akane saw his hair was black and_   
_stuck up like black flames. A thin strip of gold curved around his_   
_forehead. The boy opened his eyes and turned his coal-black gaze_   
_to look at her. He frowned even deeper, turning away when the man_   
_up front barked a command in a language she didn't understand. The_   
_boy next to her answered back in the same unfamiliar language and_   
_she turned back to the male in front._

_ The King, she guessed, was saying something to her, and_   
_automatically responded, even though she had the faintest idea what_   
_she was saying. She sounded angry, or hurt, though. The King_   
_turned his attention to her left and a boy stepped out from the_   
_shadows. It was Ranma--but not. He looked the same, except his_   
_hair was sticking out everywhere and he looked to be about the same_   
_age as the boy next to her. He wore the same armor that the boy_   
_next to her wore, except the color of the jumpsuit he wore_   
_underneath the gleaming white armor was a deep purple; it almost_   
_matched the carpet._

_ Ranma came forward and kneeled before the King and spoke_   
_in the same language as everyone else. The King responded and_   
_nodded his head. Ranma stood and came back to stand slightly_   
_behind Akane, as a guard would. She noticed as he walked back to_   
_her, that he had a tail, like he does now. She glanced over at the_   
_boy next to her and saw that his tail was wrapped around his waist._   
_She felt for her own and took note that hers was wrapped around_   
_her waist as well._

_ The King spoke and nodded again, and two guards appeared_   
_out of the shadows. They picked up Ranma and Akane and turned to_   
_leave the room. Akane struggled in her guard's grasp, and shouted_   
_out in that language again. The boy that matched the King shouted_   
_out and tried to go after her. She reached out to him, but the_   
_guard held her fast. Another guard appeared from the shadowed_   
_sidelines and tried to restrain the boy. He shook free and shot a_   
_beam of light from his hands, disintegrating the hapless guard. A_   
_door shut in front of her and the boy and the image disappeared._   
****** 

_~Present time, Tendo-ke~_

Akane blinked and shook her head, clearing it of the lingering   
images. "Where in the world did that come from? And where was   
I?" She was brought out of her pondering when Kasumi announced   
breakfast and the Fathers' awakening. Akane hurried out of the   
furo and got dressed quickly. She put on a skirt because she tried   
shorts--her tail got in the way. That's how she discovered it in the   
first place. But her tail was not cooperating, so using a scissors, she   
cut open a hole in the back of her skirt, allowing the new appendage   
to be free. 

She went downstairs and joined her family at the table,   
sitting next to the already seated Ranma, her usual spot. Only to   
stand up again because she had pinched her tail. Ranma looked up at   
her and shrugged helplessly, holding his own tail in his lap. She   
remembered how she and that boy had rested their tails around   
their waists, and tried it for herself. It felt sort of funny, but she   
could get used to it. She sat down again, noting that it didn't get in   
the way this time. Ranma raised an eyebrow at her actions and   
smiling, did it himself. They both watched the two adult males   
slowly make their way to the table, groaning and holding their heads. 

Ranma and Akane just stared at their fathers, who were   
doing a good job of ignoring their children. Kasumi set out the food   
and everyone began to help themselves to the dishes. The silence   
around the breakfast table was oppressing, to say the least. The   
only sounds made were of bowls and glasses being set down. Tea   
cups tinkled against their saucers. Ranma would sneak a glance here   
and there at Akane, focusing on her face, or peeking at her tail. 

Akane, though, concentrated on the food in front of her. She   
was hungry this morning. Actually, starving was more the word.   
Kasumi's food never tasted so good! She ate and ate, not getting   
enough to satisfy her stomach. Ranma ate in his normal pattern,   
piggishly, but that was no surprise. Still, no one spoke about the   
events of the morning. 

Soon enough, and too soon for the hungry members of the   
household, the food was polished off, and tea was re-served.   
Everyone found their cups to be the most fascinating items, when   
they weren't drinking out of them, that is. Finally, Nabiki broke the   
painful silence. 

"Ranma," everyone looked up and directed their attention   
toward her. "Ranma, did you call Saotome-obaasan yet?" Genma and   
Soun opened their eyes in shock and relief, respectively, at what   
Nabiki said. 

He nodded, looking back into his tea. "Yeah, 'Kaasan is on her   
way." 

Genma gulped and spoke fiercely. "What did you say to her,   
Ranma?" 

He eyed his father warily. "I told her to come over right   
away. It was important for her to do so." 

"And..." 

"And what?" 

"Did you tell her about the...thing?" He swallowed again and   
threw a glance at Soun. 

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I did. She asked why she had to get   
here immediately an' I told her me an' Akane grew tails last night.   
She was quiet for a long time. I thought she fainted or somethin'.   
She then asked if I actually said 'tails.' and I said 'Yeah, brown   
tails.'" He took a sip of his tea. "She then muttered something   
about giant monkeys and green men." He studied the fathers'   
reaction to his last comment, but they didn't even flinch. He   
continued. "Anyway, she said she'd be over as soon as possible. She   
had to find somethin' first and then she's come over. She did   
mention taking a cab, so she should be here soon." 

Soun nodded his head. "That's good to hear. I need to find   
something as well. I'll be back soon. I think it's up in the attic..."   
He nodded to Kasumi. "Breakfast was delicious, as always,   
Kasumi-chan." Everyone mumbled an agreement. 

Kasumi smiled and nodded back. "Thank you, Otousan,   
everyone." She turned to her youngest sister. "You seemed extra   
hungry this morning, Akane-chan." 

Akane rubbed her stomach in agreement. "Hn! I was, Kasumi.   
Everything seemed to taste especially good today, too. Actually, I'm   
still hungry. Are there any leftovers from last night?" 

Nabiki snorted. "In this household? Yeah, right, little sis."   
She turned to her father before he left the room. "So are you   
going to explain what's going on, 'Tousan?" 

Soun started to sweat. Big. "Well, I would, but Nodoka-san   
could probably explain everything the best. We should wait for   
her." He hurriedly exited the room. 

Genma stood up to follow his friend. "Excellent idea, Tendo.   
She would be the most eloquent on this matter." 

Ranma crossed his arms and sneered at his father. "Eloquent,   
my ass! You just don't want to tell us about me an' Akane's tails!   
What're you hiding, Oyaji?" Ranma stood up and started to move   
menacingly towards his father. 

"Now, boy, Ranma, let's think rationally about this." Genma   
started to back up as he saw Ranma's aura flare into the visible   
spectrum. "Tendo's right. Your mother would be able to explain it   
the best." 

They had backed out into the yard. "So, you are hiding   
something! Okay, Oyaji, if you won't talk now, I'll just have to beat   
it out of ya. Don't matter to me." Ranma cracked his knuckles,   
flared his aura, and jumped at his father. 

Genma jumped up in response and a volley of furious blows   
were exchanged between the pair. It ended quickly, though, when   
Ranma feinted and kicked Genma in the stomach, hard. Genma   
landed on the ground with an 'oof.' He laid there and didn't get back   
up. Ranma, however, hung in the air after his father had fallen. 

"See, Oyaji? I can kick your ass anytime, anyplace,   
anywhere." 

"Ranma!" 

"Nani?" Ranma turned to Akane, who had called out his name. 

She was staring at him with her mouth open and pointed at   
him. "Ranma...you're floating!" He looked down at himself and saw   
that he had not yet returned to the ground. A soft blue aura   
surrounded him, as well. 

"Sugoi!" 

"How are you doing that?" Akane came closer to him and   
stared at his aura incredibly. 

"I don't know, Akane. All I did was jump up here to fight with   
Pop, just like normal." 

"Oh my." Both Ranma and Akane turned around and saw   
Saotome Nodoka staring at them, one hand on her cheek and the   
other clutching a box. 

Ranma blushed and promptly fell to ground, the blue aura   
dissipating. "Ugh! Ohaiyo, 'Kaasan." 

Nodoka nodded. "Ohaiyo, Ranma-chan, Akane-chan." 

Akane nodded to Nodoka and turned to Ranma, offering her   
hand to give him help up. He smiled at her and accepted it. At the   
moment they touched hands, a flash went off in their minds that   
awakened a memory long hidden from them.   
********* 

_~Vejiita-sei, Main Arena, Quite awhile ago.~___

_ Ranma blinked and looked around. He noted he was in an_   
_open-aired stadium. There were pairs and groups of people_   
_surrounding him, fighting against each other. Everyone had some_   
_sort of armor on, from being full suited to just a stomach-plate._   
_There were different sizes and shapes, but everyone was fighting._   
_He looked down at himself and saw he wore the same type of armor,_   
_with a black jumpsuit underneath. His tail was wrapped around his_   
_waist.___

_ His eyes wandered around the stadium; the stands were_   
_overflowing with people yelling and cheering loudly. A pillar stood in_   
_the center of the ring, high above everyone else. Ranma squinted_   
_and could barely make out three people on top, watching the_   
_matches. His danger sense kicked in, and barely ducked a kick to_   
_his head. He turned around and returned it to the tall skinny male_   
_that had attacked him. He quickly took the inexperienced fighter_   
_out.___

_ Ranma never felt so good! He could feel the spirit of the_   
_fight flow through his blood, and it pumped him up. The adrenaline_   
_pulsed and surged through his system as he attacked the next_   
_nearest warrior. He couldn't believe how easy it was to take all the_   
_other warriors out. He attacked the next, and the next, until it was_   
_only him and one other male left.___

_ A horn blew and the other male turned to face him. He was_   
_huge; Ranma felt very small next to him. He had faced similar-sized_   
_opponents before, but he still felt insignificant next to the hulking_   
_male. He had muscles upon muscles, and unlike the other warriors,_   
_he had no pants on, and a full set of chest armor. Ranma looked up_   
_and up into his face; a bushy mustache adorned his cruelly smirking_   
_mouth, and sweat shone on his slick head, the hot sun bouncing off_   
_his baldness. An announcement went over the loudspeakers and the_   
_crowd erupted in cheers and applause. He watched as the huge bald_   
_man waved to the crowd and strutted over to the pillar. Ranma_   
_followed him and stood next to him nervously. The man kneeled and_   
_bowed his head. Ranma mimicked his action; he felt it was what he_   
_was supposed to do.___

_ He was startled when the pillar started to descend from its_   
_height. It touched the ground and the crowd went silent. Ranma_   
_saw a small pair of feet come into his line of vision, and felt a tap on_   
_his shoulder. He looked up and stared into the prettiest brown eyes_   
_he had ever seen. Actually, where had he seen those eyes before?___

_ Akane.___

_ The girl in front of him with the long, deep-purple dress, a_   
_thin band of gold encircling her head, and tail waving gently behind_   
_her, was Akane.___

_ 'Akane' spoke to him, and he didn't understand her. He just_   
_looked at her quizzically. She spoke again, in a language he didn't_   
_understand. Heck, if she spoke in English, he wouldn't have_   
_understood her, so taken in by the sight in front of him. She_   
_scowled at him and repeated what she said. He tried to tell her that_   
_he didn't understand what she was saying, but those words didn't_   
_come out. He said something entirely different, and in the same_   
_language she spoke.___

_ "Yes, my Princess." Ranma was startled that he understood_   
_what he said. Other words becoming clear to him as well.___

_ "Your heart is mine, for mine." Akane spoke to him again,_   
_holding her right hand outstretched, palm down.___

_ He bent his head again in a bow, then stood up and looked up_   
_into her eyes. "My heart is yours, for yours." He put his left hand_   
_under hers, palm up. Her eyes softened a bit, and she continued.___

_ "Your mind is mine, for mine." A bright light started to form_   
_around the two.___

_ "My mind is yours, for yours."___

_ "Your body is mine, for mine." The light started to pulse_   
_brightly.___

_ "My body is yours, for yours."___

_ "Your soul is mine, for mine." The pulsing rose to a frantic_   
_rate.___

_ "My soul is yours, for yours." The light flashed brightly once_   
_and settled between their outstretched hands.___

_ They both spoke at the same time. "We are one: heart,_   
_mind, body, soul. To be apart is being halved; together, we are_   
_complete. Eternal and unchanging. Nothing will sever the Bond."_   
_With the last word, they brought their hands together with a loud_   
_clap and the light disappeared. They pressed their hands on each_   
_other's chest and the light flared again, sealing the newly-created_   
_bond and ending the ceremony.___

_ The crowd went ballistic. Not many people witnessed the_   
_Bonding ceremony of a female member of the Royal Family, since not_   
_many were ever born. And for one to be so young, it just wasn't_   
_heard of. The other three people on the ground: the King, Ranma_   
_guessed, and Akane's father; a young boy about the same age as him_   
_and Akane, looking almost identical to the King, and the tall bald guy_   
_were staring at the two of them in shock.___

_ The boy spoke, sputtering his words out incredulously,_   
_scowling as deep as possible. "Seiika-chan, this was supposed to be_   
_the choosing of Royal Honor Guard!"___

_ 'Seiika' shrugged but didn't break eye contact with Ranma. "I_   
_know, Vejiita-chan."___

_ The King came over and knelt on one knee beside Seiika and_   
_Ranma. He placed a large callused hand on her shoulder._   
_"Seiika-oujo-chan, you are sure about this? You realize you are_   
_Bonded to Serori-kun here, not a warrior-bond, but a mate-bond?"___

_ She finally broke eye contact with 'Serori' and nodded,_   
_smiling. "I know, Papa. Serori-chan and I talked about this_   
_beforehand."___

_ The King raised his eyebrows and faced Ranma. "Serori?_   
_What part do you play in this?"___

_ Serori swallowed but did not back down. "Vejiita-Ousama,_   
_Seiika-chan and I were in agreement with the Bonding. I was to win_   
_today and she would choose me as her honor guard. We would_   
_perform the mating ceremony, instead of the honor guard ritual._   
_We both wanted this." He stuck his chin out and looked the King in_   
_the eyes, daring him to challenge the Bond.___

_ Vejiita-Ou silently looked between the two and made up his_   
_mind. He may not have liked it, but it must be honored. He stood up_   
_and silenced the roaring crowd. He raised his hands and proclaimed,_   
_"The Bond is Created. Let no one challenge it, for fear of Death_   
_Itself."___

_ The crowd erupted again, celebrating the union of the two_   
_souls. Everything fuzzed and faded out as the memory ended._   
_*************___

_~Chikyuu, Tendo yard, Present~_

Ranma and Akane blinked back into real time and stared into   
each other's eyes, still holding hands. 

"Seiika." 

"Serori." 

They sat there for a minute until a coughing noise startled   
them out of their trance. They looked around them and saw that   
everyone had gathered around them, staring at them in fascination   
and confusion. They blushed and let go of each other's hands,   
putting their hands on their chests, where they rested in the   
memory. Ranma quickly stood up and went over to his mother.   
"'Kaasan, do you know what happened to us?" Ranma held out his tail   
for emphasis. "Do you know why we have tails?" 

Nodoka looked at her son in the eyes and sighed. She nodded   
once. 

Akane spoke quietly. "We aren't actually your children, are   
we?" 

The three adults looked at each other and shook their heads.   
Ranma looked from his mother, to his father, and then to   
Akane. He moved closer to her and asked, "We weren't born on   
Chikyuu either, right?" 

All three shook their heads again. Kasumi and Nabiki gasped   
aloud. "They're...aliens?" 

"Oh, my." Everyone turned around and saw Ryouga standing   
there, mouth gaping open, and dripping wet. "Ranma...Akane...aliens?"   
He hiccuped and laughed deliriously. "Ha, ha, you guys. It is a joke,   
right? Right?" His eyes darted from one person to the next. "The   
tails are props for a joke, right?" Everyone kept staring at him, and   
he saw Ranma shake his head and mouth the word, 'No.' He laughed   
weakly and fainted on the spot. 

"Oh, dear. Poor Ryouga." Kasumi muttered. 

Nabiki blinked at her sister. "Poor Ryouga? Poor us! Poor   
Ranma and Akane! They're the aliens here. Who knows, maybe we   
are all aliens and one day the mother ship is going to come down   
from the sky and take us all away back to the planet Zeldar or   
something!" Nabiki panted, working herself into a frenzy. 

"Vejiita-sei," Akane muttered. 

Nodoka turned to Akane. "What did you say, Akane-chan?" 

She spoke louder. "We're from Vejiita-sei. And our race is   
called 'Saiya-jiin.' Ranma's real name is Serori and mine is Seiika."   
She frowned, thinking about more details of their true identities. 

Nodoka stared at Akane curiously, and shook her head. She   
indicated in the direction of the house. "Why don't we go inside, and   
we'll talk about it more there, all right?" Everyone nodded and   
moved inside, Genma and Soun picking up Ryouga and depositing him   
in the dojo on the way inside. Ranma and Akane lingered in the back   
of the group. 

"Ranma," Akane started slowly, turning to face him. "That   
was you, in my dream, wasn't it? You were Serori..." 

"And you are Seiika-oujosama, of Vejiita-sei," Ranma   
finished, glancing down into Akane's face. "It was my dream as well.   
Although, I don't think it was a real dream..." 

"It really happened, and we were Bonded at two years old."   
Akane finished for him, looking up into his face. "Wow." 

Ranma stared in Akane's eyes, moving closer. "Yeah, wow."   
Ranma placed his hands on her shoulders, and Akane rested hers on   
his well-defined chest. They moved even closer together, Ranma   
leaning down, and Akane standing on her tiptoes. Just as their lips   
were about to touch, a voice called out from the doorway. 

"Ranma-chan, Akane-chan, are you...? Nodoka stopped suddenly when   
she saw and identified the position the two newly identified   
Saiya-jiin were in. 'Oh, my! Don't let me interrupt you two!" 

The moment's spell broken, Ranma and Akane blushed deeply   
and giving each other a longing glance, hurried inside, brushing by   
Nodoka without looking at her. Nodoka giggled like a school girl, and   
picking up the box she returned for, went inside to join the rest of   
the family for the discussion of a lifetime, and events that seemed   
to happen a lifetime ago.   
**********   



	6. A Tale Rememberedhehe

_A Tail To Remember_   
_Chapter 5--A Tale to Remember *grin*_   
_***********_

After everyone had settled down in the living room, Ranma   
and Akane sitting close to each other, Nodoka opened the box that   
she had brought along. "Ranma, in this box are the belongings found   
on you the day you arrived here on Chikyuu." She indicated toward   
Soun, who had a similar-sized box next to him. "Akane, that box has   
yours. Both of you arrived on this planet sixteen years ago in a   
round spaceship that landed in the backyard." She brought out   
several photographs and handed them out. "The crater it created   
was deep, and the ship you arrived in was fairly large. Both of you   
were in the same ship." The pictures were of the landing site   
close-up and farther away. A few were of the spacepod; outside and   
inside. 

Nabiki examined the pictures carefully. "Isn't the spot   
where the ship landed in the same spot at the koi pond?" She   
pointed out one particular picture and gestured at it. 

Soun nodded. "Yes, actually, it is. The hole was so big. And   
we had the faintest idea how to fill it. Your Okaasan actually   
suggested the idea of creating the pond." 

Nabiki continued, pressing the subject. "So where did you   
put the spaceship?" 

Soun smiled slightly, shaking his head at the memory. "Well,   
since the spaceship was so big, we didn't have any means of getting   
it out of the ground. And what would we do with a spaceship?   
Where would we even think of putting it?" He glanced out the   
window, in the direction of the water hole. "So it was buried in the   
ground when the hole was filled for the pond." 

"So you're saying, the ship is still in the ground, and we have   
been living above it all this time?" she said incredibly, a glazed look   
overcoming her eyes as her voice rose in pitch. 

He nodded calmly, oblivious to Nabiki's rising voice. "Hai. It   
is buried deep under the pond. You would have never known of its   
existence, unless somebody blew up the pond and several tons of   
dirt underneath." He laughed once, rubbing at his chin. "Well,   
maybe you might have found it one day." Everyone laughed at his   
remark. Nabiki sat back in wonder, murmuring to herself about not   
being observant. 

Akane spoke quietly. "So, were you ever going to tell me or   
Ranma about...all of this?" 

The three adults looked at each other and Nodoka spoke.   
"Well, Akane-chan, to tell you the truth, no. The four of us decided   
together that we would raise you two as normal human beings. We   
didn't know how to raise aliens." 

"But why did you take us in and raise us? We had to have   
come to Chikyuu for a reason, right? What was our 'mission?'"   
Ranma burst out. 

Nodoka went back into the box and pulled out a few more   
items. "I don't know what your mission was, or why you came to   
Chikyuu. You did speak to us, but we didn't understand you. The   
language you spoke was unfamiliar to our ears." She held up the   
outfit Ranma had on when he arrived that day. "This is what you had   
on at the time." 

The girls 'awwed' at the sight of the tiny armor and bodysuit.   
Ranma scowled at them and reached for it. The white and gold   
armor was scuffed up a bit, but looked to be in excellent condition.   
The deep purple bodysuit was folded neatly. "It's so small." 

Nodoka nodded. "Well, you were a small child. You looked to   
be about the size of a one or two year old, but your actions and   
sentience were way above that." 

Soun opened his box and pulled out an article of clothing,   
handing it to Akane. "Akane-chan, this is what you were wearing."   
She felt the deep-purple material. It was very soft, but stretchy.   
The gold accents that were threaded within the fabric shone   
brightly in the lights of the room. She held it next to Ranma's   
bodysuit and compared the two. It was about the same size and the   
material matched in color and in type. 

"How cute, matching outfits!" Kasumi exclaimed. 

Nabiki rolled her eyes. She turned to her father. "'Tousan,   
what else is in there?" 

Soun stood up and handed the box to Akane. "Here,   
Akane-chan. These are your things, again." Akane smiled at her   
father and looked in the box. She pulled out a necklace with a 'V'   
pendant, and a circlet of gold. She ran a finger over the pendant,   
feeling the lines that made up her insignia. She glanced at Ranma   
and saw he was examining his own. It was similar to hers; although it   
didn't have the red stone in the apex of the 'V'. Both pendants had   
three gold rings surrounding the first prong. She smiled at him and   
they both placed their insignias around their necks once more,   
tucking them away from prying eyes. 

Looking closer at the gold circle in her lap, she could see that   
it was actually two thin strands of gold woven together. In the   
middle of the band was another red stone, like on the V pendant. 

"That's a pretty necklace, Akane. Do you know what it is?"   
Kasumi asked. 

Akane fingered it, getting a faraway look to her eyes. "Hai, I   
do. It's not a necklance, though...it's my crown." 

"Crown?" Everyone, except Ranma, said incredulously. 

"Hn. My full name is Seiika no Oujo. I am the   
Crown-Princess of Vejiita-sei, and heir to the throne of the   
Saiya-jiin Empire." 

Everyone around them gasped at Akane. They didn't know   
what to make of this new relevation. Nabiki was the first to recover   
and make a comment. "So, is Ranma a Prince, then?" she asked   
kiddingly. 

Ranma shook his head. "No, I am an Elite Senshi, not a   
prince." He looked into Akane's eyes and smiled, a thick blush   
spreading across his cheeks. Akane returned the smile and touched   
him softly, her gaze very loving. "But I am her mate." 

The room was completely silent. They were dumbfounded at   
this announcement. All they could do was watch Ranma and Akane   
stare into each other's eyes. 

"Mate? As in married, mate?" Everyone turned toward the   
new voice that entered the room. Ukyou and Ryouga stood in the   
doorway; the warm box of okynomiyaki falling out of her hand to the   
floor with a soft 'thump.' Both of the newcomer's faces were pale,   
and Ukyou brought a hand up to her mouth. 

"Ranchan, you didn't get married to Akane...did you?" Ukyou   
asked hesitantly. 

Ranma blushed and scratched his head. "Well, sort of." 

Ukyou let out a wail and sank to her knees. Ranma rose to go   
comfort her, but Akane stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.   
She shook her head and pointed at her chest. He nodded silently   
and they both turned to watch Ryouga kneel down and hesitantly   
comfort Ukyou. 

Ukyou fell onto Ryouga's chest, grabbing fistfuls of his tunic   
as she keened her despair into the folds. Ryouga looked absolutely   
lost, not knowing how to comfort the sobbing girl. Akane came over   
to the two and put her hand on Ukyou's shoulder. "Ukyou, listen to   
me. You don't understand." 

She looked up from Ryouga's now tear-drenched shirt and   
shot a murderous glare at Akane. "Understand? I understand, all   
right." She stood up and wiped her eyes with her fist. "I   
understand that you've stolen Ranma from me and I understand that   
you will suffer and pay the consequences!" With that outburst, she   
reached behind her and brought forth her fighting spatula and   
swiped the large weapon at Akane. 

Akane did not move. She stood there and calmly locked eyes   
with Ukyou. Ukyou, on the other hand, was just realizing that her   
spatula was not in her hands anymore. It now rested in Ranma's   
hands, who stood next to Akane, also calmly looking into Ukyou's eyes   
as well. 

Ukyou blinked and stared at the two in front of her.   
"Nani...?" She turned to Ranma and her spatula. "Ranchan, how'd you   
get over here so fast? And why did you take my spatula? Akane   
deserves to be punished for forcing you to marry her." 

Ranma shook his head. "Akane didn't force me to do anything,   
Ucchan." A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Actually, I never   
even married her." Akane elbowed him in the ribs and he amended   
his sentence quickly. "At least, not on Chikyuu." He hefted the   
spatula to his shoulder, rubbing his side. 

Ukyou was confused. "But you said you married her! And   
what do you mean, 'not on Chikyuu'? Where else would you go, the   
moon?" 

Nodoka spoke from behind them. "Ranma, she doesn't know." 

Ranma twisted his head slightly to acknowledge his mother's   
statement. "Right, 'Kaasan." He turned to Akane and whispered   
something in her ear. She nodded and backed up a bit, giving Ukyou   
and Ranma some space. Ranma turned back to the upset chef. "Are   
you going to go after Akane-chan, again?" Everyone raised their   
eyebrows at Ranma's honorific, Akane included; she smiled, but did   
not say anything. 

Ukyou crossed her arms and did not reply. Ranma shrugged   
his shoulders and switched the spatula to the other side. "Can you   
at least sit down and act like an adult?" She nodded reluctantly, and   
sat down next to Kasumi. Ranma looked at Ryouga and he sat down,   
as well, next to Nabiki. Ranma and Akane sat back down in their   
original seats. "What me an' Akane have to say to you," he nodded in   
Ryouga's direction, "you too, Ryouga, will be hard to believe, but   
true." Akane nodded her head in agreement. 

Ranma took a big breath and exhaled loudly. "Sixteen years   
ago a spaceship crashed on this property. In that ship were two   
small children. Me an' Akane." He watched their faces for a   
reaction. Ryouga went pale; he thought what he heard earlier was   
just a bad dream. It had to be--humans can't have tails, right?   
Ukyou's face was blank. She looked around the room, going from   
person to person. Each familiar face was dead serious, even   
Kasumi's. Every one seemed to have 'it's the truth' scrawled on their   
expressions. Ukyou sucked in a breath--Ranma was speaking the   
truth. 

She refused to believe it, though. "You look human, though.   
You're not a little green man, or have twenty eyes and feelers or   
anything like that." Nodoka's eyes lit up when Ukyou mentioned   
'green man,' and remembered to mention that bit of the story. 

Ranma stood, and pulled Akane up. "Well, we sorta do,   
Ucchan." They both unwrapped their tails from their waists and   
waved them in the air. Ryouga almost fainted. It was true. 

Ukyou stood and went over to the pair. She bent down and   
watched as the two tails waved gently back and forth. She reached   
out with her hand and looked up into Ranma's face. "Are they real?" 

He nodded and brought it forward into his hand. "Do you   
want to touch it?" Akane sucked in a breath. 

She nodded and lightly brushed it with her fingers. Ranma   
shivered and Akane frowned, a low growl rumbling in the back of her   
throat. He gave her a glance, and shook his head. "It's okay, Akane."   
She nodded hesitantly, but gave Ukyou a dark scowl. Her own tail   
twitched in agitation. 

The okynomiyaki chef gave him a small smile. "It's soft,   
Ranchan." She jumped a bit when Ranma snaked it around her wrist.   
"It's also got quite a grip, too." The others laughed quietly and   
Ranma released Ukyou's wrist. He curled his tail back around his   
waist and sat down. Akane sat back down next to him, rather   
closely, some noted silently. 

Ukyou stood up and went back to her spot next to Kasumi.   
"Aliens, hmm? I would have never guessed it. What planet are you   
from? Venus? Mars?" 

Akane spoke up. "Actually, we are from Vejiita-sei. It's in a   
galaxy far away from here. Our race is called Saiya-jiin." Her chest   
seemed to puff slightly. "We're a proud warrior race." 

Soun spoke, with a surprised look upon his face. "How did you   
know that, Akane? No one told you that. We didn't even know that." 

Akane smiled a faraway smile. "I have been having   
flashbacks, and memories keep slipping into my mind." Ranma nodded   
in agreement. "This morning, in the furo, I had one about being in   
the throne room with my father, the King," She looked   
apologetically at her Chikyuu father. "Sorry, 'Tousan." He waved it   
aside and motioned for her to continue. Nevertheless, she saw him   
wipe a tear away from the corner of his eye. "My biological father   
was there, and..." Akane drifted off, lost in the images forming in   
her mind's eye. 

"What is it, Akane-chan?" Nodoka urged. "What do you   
remember? Is it bad?" 

Akane blinked and shook her head. "It's not bad, it's just...I   
remembered I have a brother. He was my futago, my twin, in fact." 

Ranma nodded his head, eyes closed. He was lost within his   
own memories, as well. "Vejiita no Ouji. Crown Prince of Vejiita-sei,   
and Heir to the Saiya-jiin Empire." Ranma opened his eyes and   
smiled. "He'd use those exact words whenever he'd introduce   
himself, or get cocky." He turned and smiled at Akane. "And if I   
can recall correctly, you'd use those words as well whenever you   
wanted something or someone to do your bidding, Seiika-oujo." 

Akane blushed and swatted Ranma on the chest with her tail.   
He grabbed it and squeezed lightly, eliciting a squeal of surprise   
from her. She tried to pull it out of his grasp, but he held it tight.   
She finally gave up and turned away from him, mock-growling softly.   
He smirked at her and continued to hold it in his hands, moving it   
down to his lap where he could secure it better. 

Nodoka watched their 'play' with a small smile. She asked   
Akane, "So how much do you remember?" 

Akane looked at Nodoka, furrowing her eyebrows. "I don't   
remember everything. There are some gaping holes, and I   
remember scenes, but things are filling in rather fast." She glanced   
at Ranma, who was starting to seriously distract her. He had his   
eyes closed and was petting her tail with long, slow strokes. Her   
eyes started to close in pleasure. She tried her best to ignore him   
and enjoy the delicious sensations he was creating with each stroke   
on her new appendage. She returned to Nodoka, shaking away the   
feelings that were building in the pit of her stomach. What was he   
doing to her? "Could you finish your story, Obaasan?" She smiled a   
bit. "Well, our story, but your version?" 

Nodoka smiled. "Of course, dear. Where was I? Oh, yes.   
Actually, I didn't get too far into the story yet, have I? Let me   
see," Akane sat back and scooted closer to Ranma; the tension on   
her tail was starting to hurt a little bit. She wasn't used to having it   
stretched so far. Heck, she wasn't used to having a tail in the first   
place. She jumped a bit when she felt something crawling up her   
arm. Ranma's tail had unwrapped itself from his waist, and coiled   
around her wrist. She blushed a bit and smiled; she brought her   
tail-covered wrist into her lap and returned the favor, eliciting a   
quiet purr from Ranma. She continued to stroke it, listening to   
Nodoka tell of their origins on Chikyuu. 

Akane and Ranma's 'tail footsies' did not go unnoticed by the   
group. Kasumi and Nabiki shot knowing glances at each other.   
Genma and Soun also shot glances at each other, but theirs spoke of   
weddings and schools being united. And another shard shattered   
off Ukyou's heart for each stroke the two Saiya-jiin made. 

Ryouga, well, he was still trying to convince his heart and his   
mind of the idea that Ranma and Akane were aliens was the truth.   
Tails? Princesses? He caught bits and pieces of Nodoka's   
explanation. 

Nodoka, while talking and reliving the earlier events, had   
thoughts of little tailed-children running around her. She gave the   
two a wispy smile and started in on the tale. 

"You both crashed at night. There was a full moon, and a   
meteor shower that night. The four of us," she indicated to the   
two men in the room, "me, your fathers, and Kikuko were on the   
porch watching the meteor shower when we saw, what we thought as   
one of the meteors, coming straight for us. We ducked in the house,   
thinking it was going to hit. We watched it skim the roof, and crash   
in the backyard, creating the crater you saw earlier." Kasumi   
handed Ukyou and Ryouga the pictures of the crash site and pod.   
They stared at them in wonder. 

"We then noticed that it wasn't a meteor at all, but a   
spaceship. Genma and Soun went down into the crater to get a   
closer and better look. All of a sudden the ship opened up and, I   
guess it was the ship's computer, spoke some language. A few   
minutes later, it spoke again, and a cloud of gas was released into   
the air." 

"We thought it was poisonous and we backed away from the   
ship as fast as possible." Soun added. 

Nodoka rolled her eyes, and continued her story for her   
enraptured audience. "Soon, a pair of dark-blue eyes," she gave   
Ranma loving glance, "peeked around the door; those quickly   
disappeared, and then a pair of dark-brown, almost-black eyes   
replaced the blue set, and then we saw our first full glimpses of the   
two of you." She smiled warmly at Akane. 

"We were cute, right?" Ranma asked smugly. Akane pinched   
his tail in response. He let out a yelp. "Nani?" 

"Be quiet. Obaasan is still talking, Mr. Ego." 

He mumbled under his breath, but let his mother continue.   
Nodoka smiled a secret smile, and continued. "Actually, Ranma, the   
both of were cute. Adorable, even. Akane was the first out of the   
pod, and you followed right behind her. You talked to each other in   
a strange language and then noticed Genma and Soun." 

"Ranma, you spoke, and Kikuko and I came forward. All of a   
sudden a bright yellow light surrounded you..." 

Genma butted in. "Your aura flared and you went into a   
ready, defensive stance." 

Nodoka glared at her husband and continued. "Yellow light   
surrounded you and we backed away. The two of you floated out of   
the crater, and stopped eye-level with the four of us. We just   
stared at each other for a few minutes until..." Nodoka started to   
fidget and looked at her husband and his friend. The two males   
both shot her a pained look and glanced in another direction. She   
coughed and looked down at her hands. 

Akane sensed something was coming up. "Then what   
happened, Obaasan?" 

Nodoka looked up at the two Saiya-jiin and grimaced. "Well,   
Akane-chan, Ranma-chan, I don't want you to get the wrong idea, and   
it never happened again..." she trailed off, looking back at her   
hands. 

Nabiki's interest was piqued. "What happened,   
Nodoka-obaasan? It can't be that bad, can it?" Nodoka gave the   
middle sister a strained smile. 

She turned to Akane and Ranma, who were staring at her,   
waiting for her to answer. She spoke quietly. "Akane, you pointed   
something out to Ranma and then the both of you...changed." 

The two were confused. Ranma scratched his head.   
"Changed? Into what? Different clothes?" 

Nodoka shook her head. "No, you changed...into monsters.   
You changed into giant monsters and attacked the four of us." 

Everyone's eyes were wide open with shock. Monsters? 

Ukyou spoke shakily. "Monsters, Saotome-san? What did   
they look like?" She threw Ranma and Akane a glance, and noticed   
that the two of them were just as surprised as everyone else was. 

Nodoka swallowed and continued. "They grew extremely   
large, about twenty or so feet tall, the same brown fur as on their   
tails was all over their bodies. Their faces changed, as well, turning   
more animalistic. Kikuko thought you looked like giant monkeys, or   
apes, only with elongated snouts." 

The silence in the room was deafening. Ranma was the one to   
break it with a word. "Oozaru." They all turned to Ranma, who had   
his eyes closed in thought. He opened them and glanced at Akane,   
who was nodding her head. "The form's called 'Oozaru'." 

Genma stared at Ranma. "Do you know what triggered the   
change? Can you do it willingly?" 

Akane shook her head. "I don't know how or what makes a   
Saiya-jiin transform. I think there is a trigger, but I don't   
remember. Ranma?" He shook his head. Akane spoke again. "When   
we attacked, did we hurt anyone?" 

Soun shook his head. "No one was hurt. The ladies were   
scared out of their minds, but Saotome and I stood up to you and   
tried our best to stop you." Nodoka coughed loudly. Soun   
bigsweated and rubbed his neck. "Well, we might have been startled   
a bit, as well." 

Nodoka laughed out loud, but immediately covered her mouth   
to stifle the rest of her laughter. "Ha! You were dragging   
Kikuko-chan by her arm so hard and fast she was flying through the   
air!" Soun blushed but remained silent. Nodoka sobered quickly. "If   
it wasn't for the green man, who knows what might have happened." 

Everyone turned toward Nodoka and blinked. "Green man?"   
Ukyou questioned. She snorted and crossed her arms. "Okay, now   
we've now sped by and passed the 'Nerima weird' barrier and blasted   
into the truly bizarre and unbelievable." 

Genma and Soun both nodded in agreement. "Yes, it was truly   
bizarre, but it did happen. As we were defending our home from the   
rampaging monsters," Nodoka coughed again and motioned towards   
Ranma and Akane. Soun blushed and continued. "From the alien   
creatures," Nodoka coughed once more. Soun bigsweated, along with   
the rest of the room and amended his thought again. "From Ranma   
and Akane, a green man flew down from the sky and started to fight   
the two of you. He threw a ki-blast at you, Ranma and you swiped it   
back at him. He threw another and this one hit your back. All of a   
sudden you shrunk and fell unconscious. He did the same thing to   
Akane-chan, and she too, fell unconscious. He floated down from   
the sky and touched your foreheads. A bright light flashed from his   
hands and when we could see again, he was holding the two of you   
out to us and asking us to raise you as our children." 

Nodoka took over, getting a glassy sheen over her eyes. "He   
said he repressed your memories and abilities, and that you wouldn't   
transform anymore. Kikuko took Akane-chan and I took Ranma-chan   
into our arms and we went inside. And that is that." She smiled at   
the two on the couch lovingly. "Actually, the four of us were blessed   
to have you both in our lives. Never forget that." 

"So why did ya choose us that way? I mean, why'd you pick   
me? Why not Akane?" Akane elbowed him in the ribs. "Not that I'm   
complainin' how things turned out or anything, it's just that I   
was...curious, I guess." He rubbed his ribs and scowled at the girl   
next to him. She scowled right back. 

A ghost of a memory past over Nodoka's face. "That's all   
right, Ranma. Actually, your father and I did have a child before   
you arrived. But he...he died soon after his birth from   
complications." Nodoka started to get teary-eyed and abruptly   
stood up and walked out of the room. Genma tossed Ranma a glance   
and followed his wife out of the room. 

Akane nudged Ranma; he nodded and followed his father.   
They all watched the Saotomes leave and silence once again fell upon   
the room. Kasumi was the first to speak. "Oh, poor Obaasan. How   
terrible it must be to lose a child before it even had a chance to   
live." 

Soun nodded gravely. "Nodoka was torn up by the loss of the   
child. She almost died in the childbirth, as well. That night you and   
Ranma-kun arrived, Akane-chan, was the first real night she was   
back to her old self. Ranma did the rest, by filling the giant hole in   
her soul and her heart." 

They were silent a moment more, and then the Saotomes all   
returned, Nodoka and Ranma bearing tea and snacks for everyone.   
Akane and Kasumi jumped up and took the trays from them. Small   
talk convened as the tea and snacks were served. Akane and Ranma   
were talking quietly to each other when Nabiki interrupted   
everything with a question. 

"Now, Ranma-kun, are you going to enlighten everyone here by   
explaining what you said earlier?" She smirked a bit. 

Ranma looked at her and then at Akane confusedly. "What   
did I say, Nabiki?" 

Nabiki rolled her eyes and exasperatingly reminded him. "You   
said that you and Akane-chan were mates, remember? That's when   
Ukyou and Ryouga came in? Sometimes..." Nabiki just shook her   
head at him. 

Everyone turned and stared at Ranma and Akane. They had   
forgotten about that statement. Ranma and Akane, though, had not,   
and wished that Nabiki did. Everyone was silent as they waited for   
them to explain; Ukyou was alternating her thinking between busting   
Akane's head in and bawling her eyes out. The pair of Saiya-jiin   
looked at each other and blushed. 

"Well?" Nabiki urged none too gently. 

Akane and Ranma both shot murderous scowls in her   
direction. Akane, though, started out the explanation. "Well, to tell   
you the truth, Ranma and I are mated; well, actually Serori and   
Seiika are mated, but we are them, ne?" Akane looked to her 'mate'   
for help, but he just shrugged his shoulders and gave her a smile.   
She groaned and played with her tail in her lap. 

"You see, before, when I held my hand out to help Ranma up   
from the ground when he fell from...floating...we touched hands, and   
a memory busted through the roadblocks you said, Obaasan, that   
the 'green man' put there." Nodoka nodded. 

"And I had the same exact memory, at the same time, we   
found out afterward," Ranma added. 

Kasumi smiled. "That's sweet; you had the same memory." 

"You were sitting there in that position for over an hour. We   
couldn't budge you or touch you. Something was blocking us."   
Nodoka told them. 

"Well, Kasumi, we were both there, so it would be the same,   
except from different viewpoints. I was on top of a stand looking   
down at a bunch of warriors fighting each other. We were in a huge   
stadium, and to me it seemed like a free-for-all." 

"It was, Akane. I was in the ring, as one of the competitors.   
It was the choosing of the Royal Honor Guard." 

She nodded. "That's right. I was on the podium with my   
father and my brother, Vejiita." 

"Your brother was named after the planet?" Ukyou asked.   
"Why was it called Vejiita-sei, when your race is called Saiya-jiin?" 

Nodoka pointed out, "Why do we live on Chikyuu, and are   
called Humans?" 

Ukyou nodded reluctantly and Akane continued. "Actually,   
the males are always named after the planet if they're royalty. My   
father was a 'Vejiita,' as well. Anyway, the fights continued until   
there were two left. Serori here," she nudged Ranma, "and one   
other. I don't know what his name was. One Honor Guard for the   
each of us. The two of them came to the pillar and bowed; Papa hit   
a button and the pillar sank into the ground." 

"I got off the pillar right away and went directly over to   
Serori, and that was when I realized it was Ranma." 

"That was when I saw you for the first time, too, Akane."   
He then whispered in her ear, "You were the most beautiful   
creature I had ever seen, Akane-chan." Akane blushed a deep red   
and pushed the smirking Ranma away, her own smirk threatening to   
turn into a goofy smile. 

She recovered herself amidst snickering from the peanut   
gallery, mainly Nabiki, and some giggling, mainly Nodoka and Kasumi.   
The others were unaware or were silently smiling to themselves,   
thinking of houses being united for once and for all. 

"Like I was saying," Akane mock-growled deep in her throat;   
Ranma growled back and slipped his tail around her wrist. "I had   
walked up to Ranma and the crowd quieted. We then did the mating   
ceremony, and created the Bond." 

"Mating ceremony? Bond?" Ukyou asked fearfully. She had   
a really bad feeling about where this was leading. 

Akane nodded. "Yes, Bond. Saiya-jiin bond on several levels.   
You only have one mate in your entire lifetime. Nothing can break   
the Bond, or separate the Bonded. The ceremony makes the Bond   
official, because you can 'mate mate' with anyone until the Bond is   
formed and sealed. After that, it is impossible. A Saiya-jiin can not   
'cheat' on his or her mate." She blushed, thinking about the subject   
matter. 

"What was the ceremony like? What did you do in it?"   
Ryouga spoke for the first time. Everyone turned and looked at him.   
He had been so quiet up to that point that everyone had forgotten   
about him. 

Akane blinked at him. She had forgotten as well. She stood   
up and pulled Ranma up as well. "I went up to Ranma and held my arm   
out like this and said, 'Your heart is mine, for mine.'" She held her   
right hand outstretched, palm down. She stared a Ranma with a   
pointed expression. 

Ranma stared into Akane's eyes. He knew what she was doing,   
and thought it was brilliant. Ranma knelt on the ground, bent his   
head in a bow, then stood up and looked up into her eyes, a smile   
upon his face. "Then I said, 'My heart is yours, for yours.'" He put   
his left hand under hers, palm up. Her eyes lit up, understanding   
that he knew what she was attempting, and was all for it. She   
smiled, and continued. 

"Your mind is mine, for mine." A bright light started to form   
around the two. Everyone in the room gasped at the sight and the   
ones closest to them scooted as far away as possible. 

"My mind is yours, for yours." 

"Your body is mine, for mine." The light started to pulse   
brightly. Ukyou stood up, realizing what was happening, and cried   
out in disbelief and outrage. She picked up her battle spatula and   
swung at the two glowing Saiya-jiin. The aura of light around the   
two, though, protected them, and both Ranma and Akane were   
oblivious to the assault. Ukyou, though, was flung away from the   
glowing couple, and knocked unconscious. 

"My body is yours, for yours." 

"Your soul is mine, for mine." The pulsing rose to a frantic   
rate. Everyone had to cover their eyes, otherwise they would have   
been blinded by the two in front of them. 

"My soul is yours, for yours." The light flashed brightly once   
and settled between their outstretched hands. 

They both spoke at the same time. "We are one: heart,   
mind, body, soul. To be apart is being halved; together, we are   
complete. Eternal and unchanging. Nothing will sever the Bond."   
With the last word, they brought their hands together with a loud   
clap and the light disappeared. They pressed their hands on each   
other's chest and the light flared again, sealing the bond and ending   
the ceremony. 

Everyone looked at the dimly-glowing Ranma and Akane with   
unadulterated throes of shock written on their faces. Ranma and   
Akane just continued to stare in each other's eyes, hands on the   
other's chest. 

Nodoka cleared her throat. "Ranma-chan, did you do what I   
thought you did?" Ranma nodded and smiled, his hand sliding up   
Akane's neck to rest on her cheek. Akane's moved to circle Ranma's   
neck. 

Ryouga had watched the ceremony with a small amount of   
dread in his heart. He realized quite awhile ago that he was not   
meant for Akane, but you can never forget your first love. He went   
over to Ukyou, to see if she was okay. She had awoken rather fast   
from the header into the wall, and had caught the end of the light   
show. Tears coursed down her cheeks as she watched the two   
Saiya-jiin gaze at each other. 

"He's not mine, anymore. I lost him...to an alien." Ukyou   
slumped down the wall even further. 

Ryouga rubbed her arm in a sign of comfort. "I don't think he   
was ever yours to begin with, Ukyou." She nodded and continued to   
watch the two, ignoring everything else around her except for her   
misery. 

At Ranma's earlier nod, Genma and Soun's faces both lit up   
with glee. Genma brought out fans and danced a happy jig around   
the room. Soun sat in his spot, tears coursing down his cheeks,   
albeit they were from happiness and not devastation, like Ukyou's.   
Kasumi had a smile on her face, beaming at the happy couple. Nabiki   
wore a smirk, thinking she had to put the date down in her books and   
check who won the betting pool for the date on which Ranma and   
Akane would get married. 

Ranma and Akane, oblivious to everything except each other,   
still stared into each other's eyes. Ranma blinked and smiled at the   
smaller one in front of him. He slowly leaned down, closing his eyes   
as he descended. Akane drew her eyes closed as well and tilted her   
head up slightly, her hand around his neck moving to burrow in his   
hair. 

Everyone became silent and observant as the two crept closer   
and closer; Genma had even stopped dancing. 

When Ranma was close enough, he slightly parted his lips and   
gently bit Akane's nose, holding it within his teeth. Akane reached   
up and enclosed Ranma's chin within her own. They sat there for a   
minute, mouths interlocked on separate body parts. The others   
could hear a rumbling sound coming from the couple; two actually,   
each sound harmonizing with the other. 

Ranma and Akane released each other simultaneously, and he   
enclosed her in a hug. She wrapped her other arm around his chest   
and they stood there, open for everyone's interrogation. 

It started immediately with Nabiki bursting out, "What in the   
hell was that?" 

They released each other and sat down, tails curling around   
each other in affection, a hint of a blush glancing their cheeks.   
Ranma gave a small laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "What   
was what, Nabiki?" 

"That! That flashing thingee you did. And what was with the   
biting? I swear, this is getting weirder and weirder." 

Akane gently smiled at her sister. "The flashing 'thingee' was   
the Bonding ceremony. We just performed it again and resealed the   
Bond. We are officially re-mated--that is, in the eyes of the   
Saiya-jiin Empire." 

"And to us, as well." He turned to the fathers and smirked.   
"You got what you always wanted, Oyaji, Tendo-san. We just united   
the schools. Didn't need no church or wedding dresses." 

The two fathers almost burst with joy and giddiness. They   
stood up and danced with each other and made their way into the   
other room, to celebrate the joining with a little sake. Everyone   
laughed as the two males lumbered out of the room. Nodoka clapped   
once in excitement and turned to her daughter-in-law. "So,   
Akane-chan, I am sort of curious myself. What did the biting of   
each other signify?" The girls in the room looked at her with   
interest. Ryouga, feeling left out, and seeing Ukyou had recovered   
enough, stood and walked out of the room, headed for parts   
unknown, thinking his direction was the bathroom. 

Akane blushed and moved closer to Ranma. She mumbled   
something unintelligible and blushed even more. Everyone leaned in   
closer to hear what she said. "I didn't hear you, Akane-chan. What   
did you say?" 

"I said, it was a kiss." She was a beet-red from all the blood   
rushing to her face. Ranma was in the same situation. The girls   
giggled at the two on the couch. 

"Well, that was an interesting display of affection, then,   
dear." Nodoka folded her hands in her lap. "You will be going by   
Saotome now, won't you, Akane-chan?" 

Akane blinked and looked at Ranma. He looked just as   
surprised as she was. "Um, I guess I could now. I really didn't think   
of it until now. Everything is happening so fast." 

"Do your kind have family names, Akane-chan?" Kasumi asked. 

She shook her head. "There are Houses, but no real Family   
names. The Royal House was that, the Royal House of Vejiita-sei." 

"Is there anything else that has to be done for this Mating   
Ceremony, Akane-chan?" Nodoka asked not-to-innocently, a twinkle   
in her eye. 

Ranma and Akane turned purple with embarrassment. Nabiki   
snorted and crossed her arms. "We can take that as a 'yes', I think,   
Nodoka-obaasan." 

Nodoka nodded in agreement. She brightened considerably   
when an idea crossed her mind. "Why don't you two go stay at my   
home for a couple of days? That way, you won't have anyone around   
to bother you with the final 'ceremony obligations.'" She winked at   
them. 

Akane shook her head. "We couldn't kick you out of your own   
home, Obaasan." 

Nodoka waggled her finger at her. "You can call me Okaasan,   
now, Yome-chan. And don't worry about it. You do need your privacy   
to talk and for...other things." Nabiki let out another snort, and   
Kasumi just blushed. 

The female Saiya-jiin reddened with embarrassment and   
nodded. "Okay, Obaasan...Okaasan. Only for a few days. Thank you   
for your offer." Akane elbowed Ranma in the ribs. He was still   
thinking about the 'obligations.' 'There's the Bonding, and the Union,   
and the...' 

"Huh? Oh, yeah, thanks, 'Kaasan. "Precciate it." He rubbed   
his ribs, thinking about the bruise that was was forming there from   
repeated elbowing. 

Kasumi stood up, brushing her hands on her skirt. "Oh my, so   
much has happened today already, and now, we missed lunch!" Two   
stomachs rumbled in response to the mention of food. 

Nodoka stood up and followed Kasumi into the kitchen. "Let   
me help you, Kasumi-chan. We should prepare a feast, in honor of   
the 'mating.'" Kasumi smiled at Nodoka's tease. 

"That's a good idea, Obaasan." The voices were lost as the   
rattle of pans and other kitchen noises dominated their   
conversation. 

Nabiki smirked at the two and stood up. "Congratulations,   
kids. Well, I guess I'll leave you two lovebirds alone, or lovemonkeys,   
I guess I should say, hmm? Call me down when the food's ready."   
She gave them a wink and a wave and left for her room. 

Akane and Ranma both sighed and leaned against each other.   
"Wow, I never thought that the questioning would end!" Ranma   
nodded in reply, leaning his head on hers. 

"Actually, I have one more question." They looked up   
surprised. They had forgotten about Ukyou. She sat propped up   
against the wall, staring off into space, her arm gingerly holding her   
shoulder. 

Ranma and Akane nervously sat up. "What is it, Ucchan?"   
Ranma asked quietly. He noticed something. "When did you get   
hurt?" 

Ukyou stood up slowly, and winced when she moved too   
quickly. It had been injured when she was thrown against the wall.   
She waved the concern aside, and picked up her spatula. "It's   
nothing. I got it doing something stupid." She moved to stand in   
front of them. Ranma sat rigid, hoping Ukyou wouldn't attack Akane   
again. She took note of his defensive position and put her spatula on   
her back and knelt in front of them, resting on her heels. "I won't   
attack, Ranma. Promise." He nodded and relaxed a bit. 

"My question is this. Please answer it as truthfully as   
possible." Akane and Ranma looked at each other and nodded.   
"Okay. I need to know this, otherwise my heart won't rest." Ukyou   
blinked back a few tears and closed her eyes. "Ranma, do you...did   
you ever love me?" 

Ranma blinked and looked at Ukyou, studying her features.   
"Not in the way you wanted me to, Ucchan. I loved you, and still do,   
as a friend. My best friend, actually. You were one of the only ones   
around here that would actually listen to what I said, and   
understood." Akane glared at Ranma, but sat still. Ranma sensed   
this and continued quickly. "But I love Akane, always have, and   
always will. I didn't need the mating ceremony for that. Or to learn   
about being a Saiya-jiin. And I don't love her because of the Bond   
or her being my Princess." He turned to Akane and held her hands.   
"I love You. Not Seiika no Oujo, Tendo Akane or even Saotome   
Akane." She blushed and tears started to form in her eyes. Ranma   
smiled and wiped them away as they fell down her cheek. "You. It's   
always been You." He leaned down and bit her nose. She returned   
the kiss on his chin. They released each other. 

Akane spoke. "I love You, too. Not Serori, Champion of   
Seiika no Oujo, Saotome Ranma or even Saotome Ranko." He blushed   
in remembrance of his 'alternate' identity. She pointed at his nose.   
"You. It's always been You." 

Ukyou stood up, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "Domo   
arigatou, both of you, for answering me truthfully. I'll be going   
now." Ranma and Akane both stood up and walked Ukyou to the   
front door. Ukyou turned around and gave Ranma a hug and a peck   
on the cheek and gave Akane a hug. "Treat each other well." They   
nodded and waved goodbye to Ukyou, who bounded away to her   
restaurant. 

Akane leaned against Ranma and wrapped her arms around his   
waist. Ranma placed an arm around her shoulders and laid his head   
upon hers. Their tails unconsciously wrapped around each other.   
Both just stared into the bright sky, taking comfort in the other's   
presence. 

They were about to go inside when they saw a distinct light   
flash in the enless blue. Akane pointed it out. "Ranma, did you see   
that?" 

He nodded, interest piqued. "Yeah, I did. I wonder what it was?"   
************ 


	7. A Royal Saiyajiin Reunion

A Tail to Remember   
Chapter Six: A Royal Saiya-jiin Reunion 

She watched the light move around in the blue sky. Her eyes   
widened as she realized it was getting bigger. "Ranma, umm, does it   
look like it's getting closer?" 

He squinted and nodded. "It does...it almost looks like..." He   
shouted back into the house. "Everyone, come here, quick!" Ranma   
released Akane and stepped into the street. 

The rest of the family appeared in the yard after hearing   
Ranma's call. Ukyou came bounding back into the yard. She also had   
seen the strange light in the sky and had a feeling she needed to   
come back. Nodoka went up to Akane, who was staring upwards, and   
asked her, "What's wrong, Akane-chan?" 

She pointed up into the sky. "Look, Obaasan. Do you know   
what it is?" 

She shaded her eyes as she looked up into the sky. "No, I   
don't. What could it be?" 

Nabiki sucked in a sharp breath and pointed to it as well.   
"Well, I think we're going to find out, because it's gonna land on top   
of us!" All of a sudden, it seemed like it dropped out of the sky. It   
shot by the house, barely missing the roof and landed in the empty   
lot a few doors down with a mighty crash. A tremendous cloud of   
dust and dirt flew into the air. Ranma and Akane ran from the yard   
and to the crash site. Everyone else followed. 

All they could see was the giant cloud of dirt and dust. It   
seemed to encompass the entire area. Soon, when the cloud settled   
for the most part and everyone coughed a few times to clear their   
lungs, they got a glimpse of what crashed in their neighborhood.   
Everyone let out a gasp of alarm. For what had crashed was a ship,   
and not that different from the ones they had seen on the old   
pictures earlier. Ranma walked up to the ship and reached out to   
touch it, but stopped because of the intense heat radiating off   
metal sides. "It's extremely hot." He pointed out several holes and   
rips in the protective plating. "It looks damaged, as well." He made   
a complete circle around the ship and came back to the group.   
Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "On one side, there looks like a spot   
for a door, but I didn't see a button or anything to open it." 

Suddenly, there was a loud creaking, like metal twisting.   
Ranma turned around and moved in front of Akane and the rest of   
the girls, the fathers joining him, preparing for whatever came out   
of the pod. The group turned their eyes to the sheet of metal that   
opened from one side, and watched as a hand and a head emerged   
from the ship. 

It coughed, clearing the dust and debris from its lungs. It   
stepped out of the pod and looked around, taking in the unfamiliar   
surroundings. The creature wore white baggy pants and a skintight   
black tank top. Ranma's eyes bulged out at the sheer size of him.   
He was massive! Muscles upon muscles upon muscles. The alien's   
stiff black hair stuck out everywhere; it seemed to have a life of its   
own. Ranma could feel the power radiating off it, although he could   
not detect a visible aura. He knew it was powerful, way too powerful   
for just him to take on. Heck, if he had every available ally with   
him, they still wouldn't be able to bring him down. Ranma emitted a   
small amount of aura himself, and prepared for the worst. 

The alien creature immediately swung its head around,   
pointedly staring at Ranma, when he flared his aura, and to the   
group of people staring in its direction. It crawled completely out of   
the spaceship, and walked over to them, stopping in front of Ranma.   
It started to speak. "Kon'nichi wa! I'm Son Goku. Do you know   
where the Capsule Corporation is located?" It looked around in   
confusion. "I don't think I landed in the Western Capital..." 

Ranma blinked. And blinked again. "This is Nerima. Part of   
Tokyo." 

Goku's face brightened. "I landed in Tokyo? Well, I wasn't   
too far off then! Could you point me in the direction of the Western   
Capital?" 

Ranma just stared at the male and silently pointed to the   
north. "Arigatou!" He nodded his head in thanks and turned around.   
He flared his aura and made to jump into the air. 

"Matte!" 

Goku turned around and looked questionably at who spoke.   
Akane pointed at Goku. "You have a tail! Where'd you get a tail?" 

Goku furrowed his eyebrows and smiled at the said   
appendage. "Yeah, I was born with one. It was removed a long time   
ago, but it grew back last night. Kami-sama said that he removed it   
permanently, but it grew back somehow." He shrugged his   
shoulders, and the said tail lashed about a few times. "Oh well. Why   
do you want to know?" 

Akane and Ranma brought their tails forward to show the   
new male. Goku's eyes widened dramatically. "Sugoi! Are you   
Saiya-jiin, too?" 

Ranma and Akane both went slack-jawed at his careless use   
of the name. "You're a Saiya-jiin?" Goku nodded vigorously.   
Everyone, except for Ranma and Akane, facefaulted. 

Goku looked at the others with confusion. "What's with   
them?" 

Akane stammered. "We just found out about being Saiya-jiin   
this morning. We thought we were human..." 

Goku nodded in understanding. "Ah...and then you saw your   
tails and you knew you were different." They nodded in agreement.   
"Well, you'll have to come visit sometime. My family would love to   
meet you!" He looked Ranma up and down, giving him an appraising   
nod. "And we'll have to spar sometime. I am always looking for a   
good fight." Ranma nodded silently, still too shocked to speak   
properly. 

"Family? You have family here?" Akane asked. At this time,   
everyone had recovered from their facefault and were talking   
quietly to themselves. 

Goku nodded, smiling brightly. "Yes. My mate ChiChi and my   
son, Gohan." His smile quickly turned into a frown. He glanced in the   
direction Ranma pointed out earlier. "I should really get back home.   
They're probably worried about me. I've been gone a long time." 

"Why don't you come back home with us?" Kasumi asked   
politely. "You can call them from there. We were just about to eat   
dinner." 

Goku's stomach rumbled loudly at the mention of food.   
"Food? Well, that would be really nice of you..." 

"Tendo Kasumi." 

Goku smiled brighter. "Tendo-san, that would be really swell   
of you. I could call Bulma and have the gang come and pick me up!   
Would that be a problem if I waited with you?" 

"That would be no problem, Son-san." Akane told him. "We   
would be honored to meet your friends and family." 

Kasumi and Nodoka went ahead and everyone else followed,   
bringing Goku along. "Should we prepare more food for everyone   
else, as well?" 

Goku's stomach rumbled again. "I'll tell Bulma to bring some   
along. I tend to eat a lot. And if everyone comes, then there would   
have to be a ton more food for two other Saiya-jiin." 

Ranma and Akane stopped in their tracks, and paled   
noticeably. "Two...two more?" 

They had reached the Tendo-ke and Kasumi showed Goku the   
phone. He thanked her and dialed Bulma's number. 

"Moshi moshi! Is Briefs Bulma-san there?" Nabiki pricked   
her ears up at the name of the CEO of one of the largest companies   
in Japan. 

"Hi, Bulma! It's Goku!" Goku held the phone away from his   
sensitive ears as everyone heard a scream come from the phone line. 

"Hai, Bulma, I just got back now." Pause "No, I haven't called   
ChiChi yet. I was hoping to surprise her." Pause "Where am I?   
Well...I landed in Tokyo." Pause. He held the phone away from him.   
"Could someone give her directions on how to get here?" Nodoka   
stepped up to the phone and took the receiver from Goku. 

"Moshi moshi?" Nodoka gave her an approximate location on   
where the Dojo was located. "Do we have a big yard? Well, I think   
it is pretty large." Pause "Landmarks? Well, there is a pond."   
Nodoka turned to Goku. "Son-san, she wants to talk to you again." 

Goku took the phone back from Nodoka and listened to Bulma   
speak. He glanced out into the backyard and responded agreeably.   
"I don't see why not. It's big enough. Otherwise, you could always   
land next to my pod." 

Everyone who was listening to the one-sided conversation   
looked at each other. Land? 

Goku was speaking again. "All right, Bulma. Who are you   
bringing? Could you pick up ChiChi and Gohan for me?" Pause   
"They're already there? Okay." Pause "They did? He's there, too?   
Yatta! He'll want to meet my hosts. Make sure you bring some food,   
too. I'm starving!" Pause "See you soon, Bulma. Bai-bai!" He hung   
up the phone. "Well, they're on the way! 

"That's good to hear!" Nodoka said, smiling at him. "By the   
way, I am Saotome Nodoka." 

Everyone began to introduce themselves. "Tendo Soun, and this is my   
home." Goku nodded to him. "These are my daughters, Kasumi and Nabiki."   
Each bowed in turn. 

Genma nodded his head. "Saotome Genma." 

Ukyou bowed. "Kuonji Ukyou. It's nice to meet you, Son   
Goku." 

Akane and Ranma stepped forward. "I'm Saotome Ranma, and   
this is," he said with a small bit of pride in his voice, "Saotome   
Akane, my mate." Both bowed, and Goku gave a bow in return to   
everyone. 

"Thank you for opening your home to me." He turned to   
Ranma and Akane. "You both are full-blooded Saiya-jiin, right?" 

They nodded. "I think we are." Akane looked confusedly at   
Ranma. "Why do you ask, Son-san? Are you?" 

Goku smiled at the two young Saiya-jiin. "It's just that my   
son, Gohan, is half Saiya-jiin. My mate, ChiChi, is human. Vejiita is   
the only other full blooded Saiya-jiin other than me." 

Akane went white. "Ve--Vejiita? Did you say Vejiita?" 

Goku looked at her curiously. "Yes, Vejiita is the other   
Saiya-jiin on Chikyuu besides me and Gohan. We thought we were   
the last of our race." He smiled happily. "He'll be really happy that   
there are others left." 

Ranma looked at Akane in concern. "Are you talking about the   
Saiya-jiin no Ouji, Son-san?" 

He nodded, thinking to himself out loud. "Please, call me   
Goku. Yes, Vejiita is the Prince of the Saiya-jiin, actually, if you   
think about it, the King, because the planet blew up, and everyone on   
the planet died." 

The room went silent. "Blew up? Died?" Akane was as pale   
as a ghost. "Extinct?" 

Goku nodded again. "Yup. Friezer blew the planet up." Akane   
and Ranma got chills down their spine at the name Friezer. "Hey,   
how did you know Vejiita was the Prince?" 

Akane looked hesitant. "Well, you see, Goku-san, about   
sixteen years ago..." 

Before she could finish her thought, a loud noise was heard in   
the back yard. Everyone turned and went outside. They watched as   
a jet plane with the words 'Capsule Corp 37' painted on the side, land   
in the backyard. The engines turned off, and the door opened. A   
woman with blue hair, wearing jean shorts, a white tank-top, and an   
open baby-blue button-down shirt, emerged from the cockpit and   
was greeted enthusiastically by Goku. 

He walked up to her and waved. "Hiya, Bulma!" 

"Son-kun!" She jumped into his arms and gave him a gigantic   
hug. He returned it, holding her close to him. Right behind her, a   
child with spiky hair similar to Goku's, wearing a black jumpsuit with   
a white collar, jumped from the plane and literally flew to him, tail   
streaming along behind him. 

"'Tousan!" Goku opened another arm and hugged Gohan tight   
to him. 

"Hey, Gohan! How are you doing? You've gotten stronger   
since the last time I saw you!" Gohan just laughed and hugged his   
father's neck harder. The crowd watched the happy reunion. 

A fairly tall black-haired female stopped in the doorway and   
gasped aloud. "Goku-saa?" 

Goku looked up and saw ChiChi standing there. He put down   
Bulma and Gohan and levitated up to the doorway. "Hi, ChiChi. I'm   
home." 

ChiChi nodded and smiled. "Yes, that you are, Goku-saa." 

Goku opened his arms and ChiChi jumped into them willingly. They   
embraced each other fiercely, trying to reassure themselves that   
the other was real. Goku floated down to the ground but didn't let   
her go. Gohan came back up to his father and wrapped his arms   
around his leg. Goku wrapped his tail around his son. 

A voice sneered from the shadows of the plane. "Kakarotto.   
You finally brought your miserable carcass back to Chikyuu. Ready   
to get your ass whipped?" 

Goku/Kakarotto looked up into the plane and smiled at the   
shadowy figure. "Anytime you're ready, Vejiita." 

Akane and Ranma gasped up on the porch and backed into the   
shadows. They watched open-mouthed as Vejiita emerged from the   
plane, floating in mid-air. He wore a pair of black pants and a black   
t-shirt that seemed to mold to his frame. His hair seemed to stand   
taller than normal, jutting into the air like roaring black flames.. He   
hovered inches above the ground, so he could look Goku in the eye,   
his smirk wide on his olive features. 

Bulma rolled her eyes and went to the plane. She pushed a   
button and encapsulated it for better storage. She came over to   
the two Saiya-jiin staring each other down, and reprimanded them.   
"Now, don't start fighting here. You can wait until we get home, and   
Goku has settled in. We are guests here. There's no need for   
property damage." 

Goku nodded and smiled; Vejiita crossed his arms with a   
snort. "Onna, don't tell me what to do. I'll do what I want to do."   
He did, though, give Goku a final challenging glance and fall into step   
with Bulma, who had turned toward the house, and their hosts. 

Bulma bowed slightly and introduced herself. "Kon'nichi wa.   
My name's Briefs Bulma. Thank you for letting my friend Goku stay   
at your home while waiting for us." She pointed out everyone.   
"You've already met Son Goku. The little one clinging to his leg is his   
son, Gohan; and the lady on his arm is his wife, ChiChi." They all   
nodded at thier names; Gohan waving his greeting, making sure that   
one arm still curled around his father's leg. ChiChi gave a small bow   
of greeting. 

Bulma turned to Vejiita, who just smirked and crossed his   
arms. "I am Vejiita no Ouji. Crown Prince of Vejiita-sei, and Heir to   
the Saiya-jiin Empire." He eyed their unfamiliar people and watched   
for the common reaction of shock to his title. 

Everyone threw each other a look and glanced into the   
shadows of the porch. Needless to say, Vejiita was a tad   
disappointed. 

Soun stepped forward and returned the bow. "It was our   
pleasure. I am Tendo Soun, and this is my home." Vejiita, Bulma, and   
Gohan looked up sharply at the name 'Tendo,' and glanced warily at   
each other. The others noticed this, but said nothing. He continued   
with introductions. "These are my daughters, Kasumi and Nabiki."   
They stepped forward. "These are my good friends Saotome Genma   
and Nodoka." They stepped off the porch, and bowed in greeting.   
The same three gasped out loud at the name 'Saotome.' They looked   
back at each other in amazement. Could they have...? So soon? 

Soun went to introduce the rest, but was stopped by   
Nodoka's hand on his shoulder. He backed up and the other two   
stepped off the porch and stood for everyone to see. Vejiita,   
Bulma, and Gohan all gasped in shock when they saw who emerged   
from the shadows. Akane and Ranma stopped in front of everyone   
and smiled. "I am Saotome Ranma, and this is my mate, Saotome   
Akane." Ranma stepped in front of Vejiita and bowed deep, his   
fisted hand on his chest. "Your Highness." He stood up and backed   
away, his smoky-blue eyes glued on Akane. 

Akane stepped forward and bowed as well, fisted hand on her   
chest, but she remained bent. "Your Highness." 

Vejiita's face was paralyzed and frozen in shock. It was her.   
It was Her! He could recognize her anywhere. Vejiita hesitantly   
reached out and touched Akane's shoulder. Akane stood up and was   
eye to eye with him. "Seiika..." 

A slow smile spread across the female's face. "Vejiita. Chan." 

Vejiita reached out again and barely brushed her cheek with   
his fingers. "It's you. It's really you." He said breathlessly. 

She nodded. Tears started to form in her eyes. "Yes, it's   
me." She stepped forward and threw her arms around him, crushing   
him to her with the hug. Vejiita's eyes were a bit misty as well, as   
he slowly wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug. 

A light flashed in their eyes and they remembered... 

******   
_ Akane was running. She didn't know why she was running, but_   
_she was. Fast. She slowed down and came to a stop. She was in a_   
_forest of some sort. Green trees surrounded her on all sides._   
_Boulders lined the dirt path she was on. A few small birds could be_   
_heard in the upper ceiling of the trees, but otherwise, nothing or no_   
_one else was around her._

_ As she studied her surroundings, she felt something_   
_approaching her from behind, before she heard it. It seemed to be_   
_moving fast and furious, and headed directly for her. She jumped_   
_into a nearby clump of bushes to see what was about to arrive._

_ Soon after she was hidden, a small figure broke through the_   
_underbrush in the same direction she came from. The figure_   
_stopped, and panted heavily, bending over and resting its hands on_   
_its knees._

_ It stood up and turned around, apparently looking for_   
_something, or someone. "Seiika-chan, where are you?"_

_ Akane's eyes went wide. It was looking for her. She crept_   
_closer to the small figure, vainly trying to see who it was without_   
_making any noise to alert her position. A branch snapped and she_   
_froze._

_ The figure also heard the branch snap and swung its gaze in_   
_her direction. It crept slowly to where Akane was hiding._   
_"Seiika-chan, is that you?" It called out hesitantly._

_ Akane finally got to see a closer view of her persuer. She_   
_realized it was a male, a child, really, wearing a black jumpsuit with a_   
_purple cape. He had black, upswept hair that looked out of control._   
_Long pieces fell over his high forehead, hiding the scowl underneath._   
_She smiled widely, for she recognized the boy in front of her. It_   
_was Vejiita, and he was looking for her because the King had sent_   
_for the two of them, and she didn't want to go._

_ The young boy brushed away a chunk of hair from his eyes._   
_"Seiika-chan, where are you? We gotta go see Papa. He's gonna get_   
_really mad if we don't show up soon." Vejiita turned around and_   
_directed his attention to another section of the underbrush._

_ When Vejiita's back was turned completely away from her,_   
_Akane sprung from her hiding spot and jumped onto Vejiita's back,_   
_tackling him. "Ha, ha! I tricked you, Vejiita-chan!"_

_ Vejiita struggled under Seiika, and finally pushed her off._   
_"Seiika, where were you? Papa called for us, and we gotta go!"_

_ Seiika nodded her head. "I know he called, Vejiita. I just_   
_don't wanna go."_

_ "Why not?"_

_ Akane played with a few pebbles that were laying in the path._   
_"I just got a bad feeling about it. I think Papa's gonna do something_   
_bad to us."_

_ Vejiita looked skeptical. "Like what? Did you do something_   
_that needs punishing?"_

_ She shook her head. "No, not bad that way, but bad as taking_   
_us away from each other."_

_ He shook his head. "Papa wouldn't let anyone or anything_   
_separate us, Seiika-chan. He knows better than that. Remember_   
_when I was sent off-planet to visit the Moon? You and I had temper_   
_tantrums that shook the galaxy." Vejiita smirked. "He knows better_   
_than to separate us for anything."_

_ She smiled at the memory. "I know, Vejiita. But I really_   
_think something big is gonna happen."_

_ Vejiita furrowed his eyebrows, and stood up. "Yeah, Papa's_   
_temper is gonna blow if we don't get there soon. That's a 'big' thing."_

_ Akane smiled. "I guess so. I still feel weird inside..."_

_ Vejiita just scoffed and held out his hand to help her up._   
_"Come on, Seiika-chan. We'd better get back."_

_ Akane nodded and jumped up. "Okay. Race ya!" She took off_   
_into the air and shot back to the palace._

_ "Hey, no fair! You got a head start! Come back, Seiika-chan!"_   
_He jumped up into the air and took after his sister._

******* 

The image faded and Akane and Vejiita backed up from their   
embrace. "That was the day you were sent off-planet." Vejiita   
mumbled under his breath. 

Akane nodded. "I told you, I knew something was going to   
happen." 

Nodoka shook her head, clearing it. "What was that,   
Akane-chan?" 

She turned to her mother-in-law, surprise written on her   
face. "You saw it too? Well, that was one of the flashbacks Ranma   
and I have been having." She looked around at everyone gathered.   
"Did you all see it?" They nodded, agreeing with her conclusion. 

Kasumi smiled and turned toward the house. "You were a cute   
child, Vejiita-san." Vejiita scowled deeply, and a faint tinge of pink   
hinted at his cheeks. 

The said male grunted and turned his attention back to the   
female in front of him. "I thought you died. You were gone. I   
couldn't feel or sense you anymore after you were sent off-planet. I   
thought you didn't make it, and that bastard Friezer destroyed your   
pod." A rare tear started to form in the corner of his eye and   
Akane hugged him close again. 

Akane released her hold and wiped away the tear, now   
streaked down his cheek. She smiled at him. "I guess I did." She   
eyed him critically. "Although, you seem to be quite a bit older than   
me. How'd that happen?" 

Before he could answer, Kasumi announced through the door   
that dinner was ready. Five stomachs roared in response and   
everyone looked at the Saiya-jiin staring their offending   
noisemakers. Bulma laughed. "It's a good thing I brought a lot of   
food. I thought Son-kun would be extra starving, so I brought a   
ton!" 

Nodoka escorted Bulma to the kitchen and told her where to   
lay out the food. Bulma then proceeded to release three capsules of   
food in the room. Eyes bugged out and mouths started salivating.   
Everyone helped themselves and gathered outside to eat. All five   
Saiya-jiin had several heaping plates of food in each hand. The   
others not used to Goku's 'style' of eating, watched in awe as the   
large male stuffed his face as fast as possible. Nabiki was amazed   
that there was someone out there that could eat faster than Ranma. 

"Kakarotto, your dinner manners have not improved. Didn't   
you learn anything in space?" Vejiita sneered disgustedly, noticing   
Goku's table manners. 

Goku waited until he swallowed, and replied. "Nani, Vejiita? I   
haven't eaten since yesterday, and the food is really good!" He   
blinked confusedly. 

Kasumi and Nodoka beamed. "Thank you, Goku-san!" 

Others had formed small groups; Nabiki claimed Bulma's   
attention right away, and both were talking very rapidly to each   
other. ChiChi was deep into a conversation with Nodoka, while   
Kasumi was busy filling Goku and Gohan's plates as soon as they were   
emptied, much to the two Saiya-jiin's extreme pleasure. 

Ranma and Akane walked out of the house with their own   
renewed piles of food. Vejiita stood and motioned for her to sit   
near him. Akane gave him a small smile and pulled Ranma along with   
her. 

Vejiita was hesitant in talking to her, not knowing where to   
start or what to say. He sat there, silent, concentrating on his food.   
Akane was the one to break the ice. "So, Vejiita, tell me a little   
about yourself. What have I missed since me and Ranma were   
blasted off Vejiita-sei?" 

Ranma added his two cents, with mouth full. "Yah,   
Gohkuu-sah sahd id bew yup." Akane elbowed him in the ribs and   
scowled. 

"Swallow, baka." Ranma swallowed and stuck his tongue out at   
her. She tried to grab it, but she was too slow. He stuck it back   
out once more, and Akane snagged it before he got it back in. She   
smirked evilly and pulled, making Ranma grunt and follow her hand.   
She winked at Vejiita and turned her attention back to him, still   
holding onto Ranma's tongue. "So where were we, Vejiita-chan?"   
She smiled sweetly. 

Vejiita smirked at Ranma, who was grunting and trying to pull   
away from Akane's grasp. "I see, Seiika-chan, you still have your   
stronghold over Serori." 

"Always have, and always will." She grinned and gave Ranma's   
tongue an extra tug. He gave a little squeal and Akane finally let go.   
Ranma immediately sat up, holding his tongue in between his fingers.   
He gave her a hurt look and faced the opposite way, feeling sorry   
for himself. She laughed at him and curled her tail around his wrist   
in an affectionate manner. She turned back to Vejiita and looked at   
him expectantly. 

He quietly noted their affectionate behavior to himself and   
nodded toward Ranma. "He introduced you as Saotome Akane." He   
said the statement simply. 

She nodded. She pulled his tailed arm into her lap and held   
his hand. "Well, I decided to take his family name now. I used to be   
Tendo Akane, but after we revived and resealed our Bond, the   
families decided we were pretty much married, so..." she trailed off,   
blushing slightly. 

Vejiita nodded and narrowed his eyes. "I thought I felt your   
aura earlier mixed with another's. That must have been the Bonding.   
I knew then you had awakened your heritage." He cocked his head   
slightly, staring at Akane intently. "How much do you remember? I   
know your memories were sealed away by the Kami." 

She thought a bit. "I think I remember pretty much   
everything now." 

Ranma nodded in agreement. He placed his chin on her   
shoulder and added his two cents. "Yeah, I think there still may be   
some bits and pieces that need to be filled in, but talking earlier   
helped a lot." 

Akane raised her eyebrows and leaned back on Ranma a bit.   
"You said Kami blocked our memories? Are you talking about The   
Kami? As in Kami-sama?" 

Bulma wandered over to the small group. "Hai, he means The   
Kami-sama. Actually, Kami-sama isn't a real Kami, or what we   
perceive a Kami to be. He's a Namek-seijiin; and actually half of one   
person." 

Akane furrowed her eyebrows, confused. "How can he be   
half a person? That's not possible." 

Ranma teased on her shoulder. "Did you expect to be an alien   
this morning when you woke up?" She flushed and shook her head. 

Bulma sat down next to Vejiita, getting comfortable by   
leaning on his muscular frame. He glanced at her and his cheeks   
tinged a very light pink. He adjusted his position so she was more   
comfortable. "So you had no idea you were Saiya-jiin?" Bulma   
asked. 

They shook their heads. "No idea whatsoever." Akane   
answered. "Both of us freaked out this morning when we woke up   
with tails." 

"Actually, they were 'reinstated' last night. It was Kami-sama   
who did it." Both raised their eyebrows in surprise. Bulma   
continued to explain. "Kami-sama said that an enemy was coming, and   
we would need all the extra help we could get." 

Vejiita frowned deeply and crossed his arms. "We will be   
ready, Onna. No matter what." 

Akane sat up and looked to Vejiita and Bulma worriedly. "Do   
you know who it is? Do you know what the enemy is capable of? Are   
they here yet?" 

Bulma shook her head. "Hold on! Iie. We really don't know   
who the new enemy is. Kami-sama had 'a feeling' last night and he   
called everyone up to his home in the sky. That's when he gave   
Gohan-chan and Vejiita their tails back." 

"Why were they taken off in the first place?" Ranma   
wondered. 

"You don't know the significance of your tails, do you?" Bulma   
asked incredulously. Ranma and Akane shook their heads. She put   
her hand on her cheek. "Well, hmm." She had an idea, turned to   
Vejiita. "How far did you get in your training of Gohan-chan?" 

Vejiita raised his eyebrow and smirked at her. "Onna, how do   
you think he did? He can control his Oozaru form. I trained him; of   
course he'd learn immediately." He crossed his arms. "You doubted   
me? I'm shocked." 

Ranma and Akane went rigid at the mention of the Oozaru   
form. "What do you mean, can control it? You don't normally?"   
Ranma's gaze went hard. 

Bulma shook her head. "Well, if you aren't trained in how to   
control it, the animalistic side of the Saiya-jiin will overthrow the   
rational side. The Oozaru will rampage throughout the land,   
destroying everything in its way." 

Akane shuddered. "'Tousan said we attacked them when we   
transformed." 

Bulma nodded. "That's because you looked at the full moon." 

"The moon?" 

Vejiita nodded. "It's what triggers the transformation."   
Bulma continued. "And the only way to switch back is for the   
moon to disappear, or your tails to be chopped off. That's why   
Vejiita, Goku, and Gohan had their tails removed. Rampaging Oozaru   
is not a good thing." 

Ranma fingered the tail wrapped around his waist. "But if   
Vejiita-ouji was trainin' Gohan on how to control his transformation,   
that means you can control yours, right? So why was yours taken   
off?" All three Saiya-jiin had unconsciously wrapped their tails   
around their waists when Bulma mentioned 'chopping.' 

Bulma hesitated. "Well, when Vejiita first arrived on Chikyuu   
he..." Bulma paused, giving the Prince a sideways glance. "Why don't   
you explain your arrival on Chikyuu, Vejiita?" She teased him,   
knowing the conditions then, and now. 

Vejiita scowled deeply, looking at all three faces. "That is in   
the past." He stood up and walked away from the small group. 

Bulma winced and stood, walking over to him. She talked   
quietly to him, laying a hand on his arm in comfort and support. "If   
you don't tell them, I will. They have a right to know, especially   
Seiika-san. Think of the repercussions later if she doesn't hear   
about it from you, yourself. What if Son-kun says it   
nonchalantly--and you know him, he'll say it eventually--Seiika-san   
would be offended that you didn't have the guts to tell her up   
front." She gave his forearm a slight squeeze. 

His expression softened and he glanced around, seeing if   
anyone was watching. He led her away from the larger group, and   
when he felt secure in their privacy, he took hold of the hand on his   
arm and brought her palm up to his face, brushing his lips across her   
wrist, feeling the quickening pulse that beat rhythmically against her   
paper-thin skin increase ten-fold. Bulma shuddered and molded her   
form against his, feeling his own heartbeat quicken with her contact.   
"I don't think I can't wait much longer, Vejiita-chan, for that   
ceremony to take place." 

He nuzzled her ear, nibbling on the earlobe. "I know, Bulma, I   
know. You won't have to wait much longer." He looked into her eyes,   
pressing his forehead against hers. "You might want to talk with   
Seiika-chan about the ceremony. She and Serori performed it   
today. She could tell you all the details, and what is to be   
expected." 

She nodded and bit his nose. He responded in kind. "I will, if   
you tell them right away." Vejiita pulled back and turned away from   
her. Bulma wrapped her arms around his chest and continued.   
"Vejiita-chan, don't be afraid of her reaction. If she cares for you   
at all, she will understand." She laughed ruefully. "Hell, I   
understand, and forgave you back on Namek-sei. If I can, she can.   
Give her the benefit of the doubt." 

He pulled apart her arms and turned around in her embrace.   
"All right, I will." He scowled and rested her arms around his neck.   
"It better be worth it, Onna, or it's all your fault." 

She smiled at him and gave him a hug. "It will, Otoko. The   
truth always does. It may hurt at first, but it is better in the end."   
She released him, and held his face in her hands. "Facing your fears   
is not an easy thing. I'm proud of you, my Prince." She leaned in and   
kissed his lips soundly. He responded by bringing her closer to him   
and deepening the kiss with his tongue. After a few moments of   
kissing, they pulled away, flushed and panting breathlessly. Bulma   
ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "You really need to go talk   
with Seiika. Now." Vejiita smirked and nodded. 

Bulma straightened out her shirt, which had gotten twisted   
somehow, and walked out from their hiding place. Vejiita followed   
closely, face solemn. Akane and Ranma looked up from their quiet   
conversation, and stood up, giving then worried glances. "If you   
don't want to tell us, Vejiita-chan, it's okay. We understand." Akane   
said quietly. She was worried that they offended her newly-found   
brother with their inquiring questions. After all, it wasn't any of   
their business. 

Vejiita sat back down, and Bulma sat next to him. Then he   
stood up, pacing in front of them for some time, his tail thrashing   
wildly behind him, disclosing his frustration. He did not notice that   
he drew a crowd with his furious pacing. The fact that he started   
to emit an aura didn't help matters, either. 

Vejiita stopped in front of Akane, boring his glittering orbs   
into her own. He started to speak. "When I arrived on Chikyuu, I   
did not come on a peaceful mission." Bulma snickered a bit. Vejiita   
threw a hot glare at her and she quieted immediately. 

"A Saiya-jiin by the name of Radiitzu arrived before me to   
check on Kakarotto's progress here on Chikyuu. You see, originally,   
Kakarotto was sent to Chikyuu to prepare it for the arrival of   
Friezer and his Planet Traders. Radiitzu found the planet's people to   
be surviving and actually thriving. He went looking for Kakarotto to   
see why he failed in his mission. When he found Kakarotto, he saw   
that the Third-class reject was living peacefully on the planet and   
had even mated with one of the occupants." The 'occupant' by the   
name of ChiChi was listening to Vejiita's account of the origins of   
her husband and was starting to get angry. Goku put a hand on her   
shoulder, calming her down, and he shook his head. He wanted   
Vejiita to continue, and sensed that it was important for all of this   
to get out in the open. By this time, everyone else was listening   
attentively to Vejiita's story. 

He continued, unaware of the audience that formed behind   
him. "To make a long story short, Kakarotto and Radiitzu fought,   
with the help of some of his 'friends,' namely that Namek-seijiin,   
Piccolo, and were killed. Both of them. How do I know this you   
wonder, well," Vejiita reached behind him and pulled a scouter from   
thin air, or subspace as Bulma called it. "This is called a scouter."   
He handed it to Akane. She looked it over in her hands turning it   
around. She handed it back to him and he placed it over her ear.   
"What it does is measure the fighting levels of an opponent. By   
pressing this button," he activated it, "you can read their ki levels.   
It also has a transmitter." Akane was pointing the scouter at Vejiita   
and taking in the numbers. She turned it to Ranma and took note of   
his level compared to Vejiita's. She pointed it around the yard,   
reading the various levels of the guests. After a bit she took it off   
and handed it back to Vejiita. 

He turned it off and put it back in his 'pocket.' "Radiitzu's   
transmitter was on, and I heard the entire fight. The bald creature   
that was one of the fighters there mentioned something about   
Dragonballs. He said they could grant any wish. That sounded good   
to me, so I decided to go to Chikyuu to get the wish from the   
Dragonballs." 

"What would you wish for?" Akane asked. 

"Immortality." Vejiita said simply. Both Akane and Ranma's   
eyes widened. 

"Can they grant that?" He nodded. "Can they grant any   
wish?" Ranma asked, his mind on a particular wish that he wouldn't   
mind asking to be granted. 

He nodded. "Anything, except for resurrecting people dead   
for over a year or from natural causes. The bald creature was going   
to wish for Kakarotto's resurrection." 

He paused for a moment and continued on. "When I arrived   
on Chikyuu, I came with another Saiya-jiin, Nappa." 

"Is he a tall bald guy?" Ranma wondered, interrupting him. 

Vejiita looked at him curiously. "Yes, he was. How did you   
know that?" 

He shrugged. "He was your Honor Guard, right?" Vejiita   
nodded. "I remember him from the Mating Ceremony battle." 

Akane said something before Vejiita could continue. "What   
did you mean when you said Kakarotto came to 'prepare the planet'?   
What was he supposed to do?" 

Vejiita looked into Akane's eyes and said it plain and simple.   
He decided to not beat around the bush. If she was going to hate   
him, then fine, she hated him. But he could not do anything to   
change the past. With a large sigh he explained the resident   
Saiya-jiin' origins on Chikyuu. "Kakarotto was sent to Chikyuu to   
extinguish its inhabitants so the planet could be prepared to be sold   
to the highest bidder. That is what the Saiya-jiin did if they   
worked for Friezer. It's what Nappa and I did." 

Akane was frozen in shock. Wipe out Chikyuu? She spoke   
slowly. "You wiped out civilizations?" Vejiita frowned and nodded.   
He turned around quickly, though, when he heard cries and gasps   
behind him. He finally saw the crowd that didn't know about his   
past, recoiling and staring at him in horror. He scowled deeply and   
glared at them. They immediately turned their faces away, blushing   
from embarrassment. 

"Vejiita..." Akane had stood up, and was touching his   
shoulder. He whirled around to face her and Ranma, who was   
directly behind her, aura flared and eyes wide with the new   
knowledge. "Vejiita, were Ranma and I sent to Chikyuu to wipe out   
the population here?" 

Vejiita looked into Ranma's face, seeing the fierce nature of   
the Saiya-jiin senshi buried just under the surface. He then looked   
into Akane's gaze, seeing only the question in her eyes. Vejiita's own   
gaze softened and he shook his head. "Iie. You were not sent to   
Chikyuu to wipe out its natives. I don't know why you landed here,   
but you did. You and Serori were sent off-planet because Friezer   
wanted to have control of the two of you. The King wanted to   
protect you from the cruelties of Friezer's army, so you were sent   
away before Friezer could get his clutches around you." Vejiita   
looked away and into the sky. "No, you were not meant to see or   
hear anything of the massacres." He sighed and turned his eyes to   
his twin's. "I went in your place. The King knew I could handle   
Friezer's army better than you could. He did not want to send any   
Saiya-jiin to Friezer, but he did what he thought he had to do." The   
Prince's scowl turned black with his last sentence and he spat off to   
the side in disgust. 

That relevation shocked the Senshi that knew of Vejiita's   
bloodied past, and placed him in a different light within everyone's   
eyes. Akane's gaze softened and she wrapped her arms around her   
twin. "It's all right, Vejiita-chan. I forgive you. Thank you for your   
sacrifice." Vejiita stiffened and relaxed, and slowly wrapped his   
arms around Akane, burying his face in her hair, returning the   
gesture. 

Akane released him and stepped back. "As you said, that is in   
the past. So how is this leading up to the removal of your tail?" 

Vejiita frowned and scowled at the memory. "I was fighting   
Kakarotto and transformed into the Oozaru form. A wimpy asshole   
used a sword and sliced off my tail, returning me to normal size." He   
crossed his arms. "He still deserves a pulping for doing that to me." 

Ranma scratched his head. "But Bulma-san said that the full   
moon is what triggers the transformation. And we didn't have a   
moon for the longest time. How'd you change?" 

Vejiita smirked. "I can create a moon simulation through a   
special ki-ball." 

Bulma called out to Gohan. "Gohan-chan, are you ready to   
show off what you learned today?" 

Gohan looked nervously between Bulma, Vejiita and his dad.   
"I don't know, Bulma-san. I don't think I'm ready yet." 

Goku bent down and rustled his son's hair. "What did you   
learn today, Gohan?" 

"Vejiita-san trained me on how to create the artificial   
moonlight and on how to control my Oozaru form, 'Tousan." Gohan   
winced at the memory of the 'training' session. It was more like a   
'beat the hell out of Gohan as a giant monkey' session. "Kami-sama   
said we might need the extra strength that comes from the forms.   
Kami-sama was also the one who asked Vejiita-san to do it." 

Goku stood up and looked surprisedly at Vejiita. "Did you do   
that, Vejiita?" He just scowled and turned away. "That's awfully   
swell of you! Could you teach me, as well?" 

Vejiita snorted. "Have your brat show you, Kakarotto. I   
won't lower myself again to baby Third-class Saiya-jiin." 

"What about me, Vejiita? Will you show me and Ranma?"   
Akane asked next to him. She smiled mischievously. "Or are we too   
low for Vejiita no Ouji, Crown Prince of Vejiita-sei, Heir to the   
Saiya-jiin Empire?" 

He snorted at her. "Yes, you are. No one comes close to the   
Prophetized Legendary Super Saiya-jiin." His eyes glittered in   
smugness and amusement. 

She glittered right back. "Who said you would be the   
Legendary One? I might be the Legendary One. The prophets said   
the birth of us was a sign; they did not say which one of us would be   
the one." She snorted in his face and dared him to defy her logic.   
He stared right back, getting in her face. They were locked eye to   
eye, nose to nose, daring each other to back down. 

Goku broke the moment. He blurted out amazingly, "Wow,   
Seiika, Vejiita, you two sure do look like brother and sister doing   
that!" 

Both turned and glared at Goku, flared their auras, and   
shouted, "Shut up, Kakarotto!" 

Goku's eyes widened dramatically and backed up. "Gomen,   
gomen!" The twins looked at each other and gave each other an   
identical smirk. Akane turned around and sat back down next to   
Ranma. Ranma, on the other hand, was just staring at her, wondering   
where Akane went to, and when Seiika came back. Sensing that   
Ranma was staring at her, Akane turned and gave him a smile,   
wrapping her tail around his wrist. He smiled back, recognizing   
Akane in the smile, and put those thoughts aside to think about   
later. 

Bulma spoke up again. "Well, Gohan-chan? Do you want to do   
this?" 

Gohan swallowed nervously, and looked up at his dad. Goku   
smiled down at him, encouraging him. "If you don't want to, Gohan,   
you don't have to. But I think you should. Practice makes perfect,   
ne?" Gohan nodded and stepped away from his father. "Okay, I   
guess so. Should I make the moonlight, Vejiita-san?" 

"Matte," Bulma stopped them. "Before you guys start   
transforming, shouldn't we get out of town first? Who knows how   
the neighbors will react to a bunch of giant monkeys running around   
town." 

Ukyou rolled her eyes. "This is Nerima. They won't think it   
strange in the slightest." 

Nodoka nodded to Bulma, agreeing with her statement and   
ignoring Ukyou's. "That is a very good idea, Bulma-san." 

Bulma turned to Goku. "Where'd your pod land, Son-kun?" 

"A few doors down." 

Bulma nodded. "We need to get your ship and take it back to   
Capsule Corp so the local authorities don't think aliens landed or   
something." Bulma smiled. "Well, technically, they did, but still..."   
Everyone nodded in agreement and trooped off to Goku's crash site. 

When they arrived, Bulma took out her capsule for the jet.   
She found a big enough space and opened it up, revealing the plane   
from earlier. She turned toward the spacepod and threw an empty   
capsule at it. The storage capsule encircled the pod and contained it   
within one puff of smoke. Bulma smiled and went over to the full   
tablet and put in her pocket. "I am so glad 'Tousan invented these..."   
She turned to the group. "All aboard who's going aboard!" She   
turned to the Saiya-jiin. "How about the canyon back home? It   
should be a big enough place for five Oozaru stomping around." 

Vejiita nodded and turned to the others. "You know which   
one she's talking about, Kakarotto?" 

Goku nodded and took ChiChi in his arms and flew her up to   
the plane. He placed her inside carefully and gave her a hug. "See   
you in the canyon!" 

"Why don't you come with us, Goku?" 

"Aww, ChiChi," Goku whined. "I want to fly with the others!"   
ChiChi knew she wasn't going to win against Goku's whining and   
fidgeting. She sighed and pushed him out the door. "Fine! Go play   
with Vejiita. I'll see you in the canyon." Goku brightened and took   
off to rejoin the rest. ChiChi just sighed again and went inside,   
cursing her husband's heritage. 

The Tendo's and Saotome's hung back. Akane turned to them.   
"You don't have to come if you don't want to. Ranma and I   
understand." 

Surprisingly, Kasumi stepped forward and put a hand on   
Akane's arm. "Of course, we'll come, Akane-chan. We should   
support you and Ranma-kun in learning about your new lives, right?" 

Akane smiled and gave her sister a hug. "Thank you, Kasumi-neechan." 

She smiled and turned to Vejiita. "Vejiita-ototochan, will you   
fly me up to the plane?" 

Vejiita looked absolutely startled. "Nani? Me?" 

Kasumi nodded and smiled again, placing her hand on his arm.   
"Of course, you. You are family, are you not?" 

Vejiita just blinked at Kasumi. She stood there smiling and   
waiting for him to pick her up. He turned to Akane and she nodded,   
encouraging him. Vejiita scowled a small bit and gently took Kasumi   
into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked into   
his face. He slowly floated up to the plane's entrance. He carefully   
put her down and waited for her to steady herself. 

Kasumi let go of his neck and leaned over to give him a peck   
on the cheek. "Thank you, Vejiita-ototochan. It was fun!" He put a   
hand on the spot where she kissed him and floated back down. 

Soun went to carry Nabiki, but she shook her head. "Sorry,   
'Tousan, I'm not going to go. I don't want to take the chance of a   
giant monkey stepping on me. Have fun." She waved to the others   
and returned home. 

Ukyou stepped up and adjusted her spatula. "I'll come along,   
Ranma. I want to see for myself this were-monkey schtick." Goku   
went to go pick her up but she shook her head. She got a running   
start and jumped into the door. She waved at everyone on the   
ground and went inside. Soun followed right behind her. 

Nodoka went over to Genma and wrapped her arms around his   
neck. "Now, husband, I know you want to go along and support your   
son and daughter-in-law, right?" She shifted the katana on her back   
for emphasis. 

Genma nodded violently. "Of course, dear, of course." He   
cupped her in his arms and bounded into the plane. 

Bulma turned to Vejiita and crossed her arms, raising her   
eyebrow in suggestion. "Well, how am I going to get up there?"   
Vejiita grumbled but picked her up and carried her up to the door,   
setting her down as gently as he did Kasumi. She hung on to him for   
a minute longer and whispered something in his ear. He let go   
abruptly and floated down, a pink tinge highlighting his cheeks. 

The five Saiya-jiin watched as Bulma fired the engines and   
took off into the sky, heading for home. Goku turned to the newest   
members of the Saiya-jiin Senshi Team and smiled. "Well, the   
canyon isn't all that far away, so it shouldn't take that long to get   
there. You can follow us with no problems." 

Ranma and Akane bigsweated. "Actually, there is a problem." 

Goku scrunched his face up in question. "What is it?" 

Akane blushed and Ranma pulled on his pigtail. "Well, we don't   
know how to fly." Akane explained, fidgeting a little. 

The three Saiya-jiin opened their mouths in shock. "You don't   
know how to fly? Of course you do...don't you? Even Yamucha and   
the other senshi know how to fly. It's easy!" Gohan exclaimed in   
disbelief. 

"Not if we weren't shown how!" Akane started to get mad.   
She didn't like to be humiliated, and even though she didn't know who   
the others were, she felt like she was being made fun of. 

Ranma felt her anger rising and moved to quickly dissolve it.   
"Hey, Akane, don't get mad over it." 

Vejiita sensed her anger as well, and got an idea. He started   
to taunt her. "Seiika-chan, what do you mean you don't know how to   
fly? Babies know how to fly! Even the brat knows how to fly! Are   
you sure you're a Saiya-jiin? My sister could outfly me anyday. I   
think you might be an imposter!" He sneered at her, provoking her   
anger. 

It seemed to work. Akane gave Vejiita a snarl and started to   
chase after him. He laughed at her antics and slowly started to   
levitate while he continued to taunt her. Soon, he was several feet   
off the ground and Akane was level with him, yelling and swinging at   
him with her fists. Vejiita laughed and stopped suddenly, catching   
her arms in his hands. He smirked at her and pointed down. She   
looked at gasped. She was floating in the air! She tried moving   
around a bit, going back and forth. She forgot about her anger, and   
the aura she had created without knowing, winked out. Akane yelped   
and fell to the ground swiftly. 

She did not impact because Ranma had caught her in mid-air.   
He smiled at her and righted her into a standing position. "Goku-san   
explained it to me. You need to keep your aura flared--that's what   
holds you in the air. It's really easy! And actually, I noticed that my   
aura is a lot stronger than it used to be. I don't really need to think   
about it for it to form. Try it." 

Akane concentrated on her aura, and it easily sprang to life, a   
blue shield surrounding her. Ranma released her, and she remained   
afloat in the air. Akane smiled, gave Ranma a peck in the cheek, and   
flew over to Vejiita, who was looking smug with a smirk and his arms   
crossed. "Okay, chibi-ototo, let's see who can outfly who, now!"   
With that, she blew a raspberry at him and shot off into the   
distance, in the same direction as the plane. 

Vejiita looked startled, and with a cry, shot after his sister,   
yelling at her to come back. A laugh floated back to the three   
remaining, and they watched as the two bright specks disappeared in   
the distance. 

Goku turned to Ranma, smiling. "Yup, those two are definitely   
brother and sister!" Ranma shrugged and the three took off after   
the dueling twins. 

********** 

Nekohanten, Nerima 

Not many customers were in the ramen shop, making for a   
quiet day, perfect for inner reflection. Cologne was stirring a pot of   
ramen noodles lazily, thinking about nothing in particular. She   
glanced over at her great-granddaughter, Shampoo, who was busily   
cutting up a pile of vegetables, preparing for the dinner rush. She   
smiled serenely at the girl when she looked up at her. Shampoo just   
returned the smile and continued to chop the vegetables. Cologne   
marveled at the serenity of her distant offspring, and started to   
hum a tune under her breath. 

Cologne looked up suddenly, ending the tune and staring into   
space for a few minutes. She came out of her trance and blinked, a   
worried frown taking over her wrinkled features. Shampoo noticed   
this, and abruptly put down her paring knife and moved closer to her.   
"What wrong, 'Babachan?" 

Cologne frowned at Shampoo and shook her head. "I don't   
know, child. Something is happening, or is going to happen. I can   
feel it in the air. I felt it several times today, actually." 

Shampoo blinked and a knowing smile spread across her   
features. "Shampoo bet it involve Ranma, somehow." 

Cologne frowned again and picked up her walking stick. "It   
usually does, child. Close the shop. We're going to see what's going   
on." 

Shampoo nodded and locked the restaurant, shooing away the   
few customers that were in there. "Okay, 'Babachan. Shampoo   
ready." 

Cologne nodded and bounded out of the store, heading in the   
opposite direction of the Dojo. 

"Why we not going to see Ranma?" Shampoo asked   
confusedly, glancing over her shoulder. 

"He's not there, Shampoo." 

"Where Ranma be, then?" 

"When we find him, child, we will know." Shampoo shrugged   
her shoulders and bounded after her great-grandmother, trusting in   
her senses to lead them to her Airen.   
************ 


	8. Oozaru Stompin' Fun

A Tail To Remember   
Chapter Seven: Oozaru Stompin' Fun!   
******** 

The three caught up easily with the Royal twins and watched   
as they flew closely together, their bright auras touching. They   
hung back, letting them become reacquainted with each other.   
Ranma watched them with a small bit of jealousy nipping at the   
corner of his mind. _How did she become so buddy-buddy with him so_   
_fast? Usually a new male is 'hentai!' But this is her brother...it's_   
Vejiita._..why am I so jealous?_

Akane, feeling and sensing Ranma's emotions through their   
partially-formed Bond, turned her head around and gave him a   
reassuring smile. 

_ Now I feel like a fool...Akane loves me and only me...well at_   
_least in that way._ He sheepishly smiled back and she turned back to   
Vejiita, resuming their conversation. _She has sisters...now she has a_   
_brother...one she hasn't seen or remembered for over fifteen years._   
_Although I wonder why Vejiita does look so much older than us..._

Soon, they arrived at the canyon, and set down next to the   
plane. The occupants were already out of the plane and waiting for   
the Saiya-jiin to arrive. 

"Bulma-san said you'd arrive by flying--but I didn't think that   
she meant flying flying." Nodoka stared at the five Saiya-jiin as   
they touched down. Akane stumbled slightly, but stayed on her feet. 

Bulma stepped up to the flying aliens. "We are going to watch   
from near the plane. We really don't want to be moving targets." 

Vejiita snorted, but nodded. "Good idea. You know what to   
do if things get out of hand." 

Bulma cocked her head to the side. "Tail?" 

"Hai." 

She nodded and went back to the plane. He turned to Ranma   
and Akane. "The brat is going to create the artificial moonlight, but   
he is going to place it behind you. That way, when you are ready to   
transform, you can look at it. Otherwise, you can watch until you are   
ready." He glanced over at Goku. "You too, Kakarotto. Turn away   
from the light." Goku nodded and stepped over to Ranma and Akane. 

Gohan waited until all the non-combatants were out of the   
way before he summoned the ki needed to replicate the moon's rays.   
He yelled, "Hiyahh!" and launched the pulsing ball into the air.   
Akane and Ranma watched, fascinated, as Gohan and Vejiita   
immediately began to change and transform. Their breathing   
became labored; fur started to sprout from their bodies; their limbs   
and torsos elongated, and their faces started to contort and   
rearrange themselves. Soon, two fully-transformed Oozaru stood in   
front of the unchanged. 

Ranma and Akane watched breathlessly as Gohan-Oozaru   
struggled to stay in control of his mind. They were glued to the   
scene unfolding in front of them as he roared out his rage and beat   
on his chest. Vejiita-Oozaru roared right back at him, but did not   
move. Soon, intelligence could be seen in the red orbs of Gohan's   
eyes, and his slowed breathing gave them an indication he had   
calmed down. Vejiita-Oozaru and Gohan-Oozaru bellowed back at   
each other, and backed up, waiting for the next to join them. 

Goku turned around and looked at the glowing orb. He backed   
away from Ranma and Akane and began to change. He soon became   
fully Oozaru, and started in with his rage-rampage. He roared out   
his anger and started to attack the other Oozaru. Vejiita-Oozaru   
bellowed back and shot a mouth-blast at him. Goku blocked it and   
retaliated with his own. 

Gohan roared at his father and jumped on him, trying to pin   
his arms down. Goku was held fast by Gohan, the Oozaru rage   
overpowering his ability to reason and fight back. Soon, Goku   
calmed down, and Vejiita and Gohan grunted and snarled at him,   
telling him to take control of his mind. 

After a few minutes, intelligence was seen in Goku's eyes, and   
Gohan released his father. They growled at each other,   
communicating to each other their states of well-being. The three   
turned to the last two, waiting for them to join the ranks of Oozaru. 

Ranma turned to the female next to him, "Are you ready?" 

Akane swallowed and nodded. "Let's do it together. The   
three of them should be able to convince us." 

Ranma nodded and took hold of Akane's hand, squeezing it.   
Vejiita bellowed down at them; what could be called a smirk was   
stretched across his massive jaws. Akane scowled up at her   
extremely tall brother and blew a raspberry. 

Akane turned around and looked at the moon-ball.   
Immediately she felt tingly and could feel her insides stirring from   
something that was buried deep within her subconscious. She felt   
her entire body stretching. It wasn't exactly painful, but it wasn't   
the most comfortable sensation, either. She glanced over at Ranma   
and saw him changing as well; dark-brown fur growing out of his skin   
and his face twisting and stretching, turning more animalistic. The   
last coherent thought she had was she wouldn't have anything to   
wear when she changed back because her clothes were now nothing   
more than scraps of cloth. 

All too soon, five Oozaru stood in the empty canyon, growling   
and snarling at each other. 

In the plane, the families watched with great trepidation and   
fear as the five Oozaru interacted with each other. "Oh my,"   
Kasumi exclaimed. "Ranma and Akane are really those creatures?" 

Bulma nodded. "Hai, that's them, all right. I hope Vejiita,   
Goku, and Gohan can handle the other two." 

Nodoka nodded in agreement. "I do, too. It seemed Goku-san   
came around quickly enough." 

"Yes, but Goku's transformed before. Ranma and Akane-san   
don't remember theirs at all." Everyone turned their attention back   
to the five Oozaru. 

Vejiita, Goku, and Gohan triangulated themselves around   
Ranma-Oozaru and Akane-Oozaru. They bellowed back and forth,   
roaring in rage and in confusion. Akane-Oozaru seemed the calmest   
of the two, and backed into Ranma-Oozaru. He turned around and   
looked ready to rip into whatever touched him, but something   
stopped him from doing so. 

Ranma stood rigid and stuck his snout upwards, smelling the   
scents around him in the air. He stopped roaring and tilted his head   
in Akane's direction. Akane roared at him and swung a muscled arm,   
but he just ducked the blow and ignored it. Ranma circled her,   
smelling the air every so often. Akane stomped her feet, showing   
her frustration and displeasure at being ignored. He stopped in   
front of her and sniffed cautiously in her direction. He growled   
deep within his throat, emitting varying levels of sound. Akane   
paused in her bellowing and cocked her head at him, answering back   
with similar growls and grunts. The two began to circle each other,   
keeping a fair amount of distance in between, all the while grunting   
and growling back and forth. 

The other three Oozaru started to make a racket; trying to   
distract Ranma and Akane from their circling. It wasn't working, so   
Goku went to hold down Akane, but Ranma wouldn't have anything to   
do with that. He turned his attention away from Akane and snarled   
at Goku. Goku barked in return and attempted to hold Akane again.   
Ranma howled his indignation and quickly moved in front of Akane;   
swiping at Goku and snapping his powerful jaws at the others who   
dared to get close. 

The Humans in the plane were baffled by their behavior.   
"Why are Ranma and Akane acting that way?" Ukyou wondered   
aloud. "Why haven't they become rational yet?" 

Bulma shook her head. "I don't know. And we have no way of   
knowing until the moon-ball goes out." 

Soun rubbed his chin absently. "It looks like Ranma-kun is   
trying to protect Akane-chan from the others." He pointed at their   
position. "See how Ranma is always looking back and forth between   
the three of them? He keeps circling Akane, trying to keep himself   
between her and the others." 

Bulma's eyes gleamed with an unnatural light as an idea   
formed in her mind. "Is he protecting her or is he trying to protect   
what is his?" The others looked at her in confusion. "It's like a dog   
and his bone." She pointed out towards the five, excitement evident   
in her voice. "See how he snaps at whomever comes too close to him   
or Seiika-san? It's like he's trying to keep the others away from his   
bone!" Everyone agreed with her diagnosis. 

Ukyou pointed out another thing. "But why was he circling   
her before, and smelling the air?" 

Bulma thought for a minute, but it was Kasumi who threw out   
the idea. "Isn't smell the primary way for animals to identify each   
other?" 

Bulma nodded. "Hai. That's true. He recognized Seiika as his   
mate, and is trying to keep the other males away from her.   
Especially since they haven't gained awareness, Serori doesn't   
realize that the other three are no threat to Seiika." 

Nodoka gasped and pointed. "What are they doing now?"   
Everyone looked out at the five were-monkeys. Ranma had come   
close to Akane and was nipping at her neck. What startled them the   
most was when Ranma bit down hard and Akane shrieked. The other   
three Oozaru, especially Vejiita, immediately tried to get Ranma off   
Akane, but he wouldn't release his hold on her neck. When he finally   
did, he gently lapped up the blood that spilled from the wound. 

Ranma butted his head against her shoulder, pushing her away from   
the group. Akane snarled at him, but went forward in the direction   
Ranma indicated. 

Vejiita growled at Goku and Gohan to keep an eye on the two   
Oozaru; if they should start to get more physical, try and break it   
up. He broke away from them, and lumbered over to the plane.   
Bulma went out to meet him, and he growled gently at her form.   
Vejiita put a hand on the ground and Bulma walked over to it and sat   
in his palm. "What's going on with Seiika and Serori, Vejiita? 

He raised his hand, so Bulma was eye-level. He spoke in a   
gravelly voice; some words were not very clear. "Serori claimed   
Seiika as mate. Ask if Ceremony complete." Bulma looked at Vejiita   
confusedly, and raised her eyebrows in suggestion. Vejiita-Oozaru   
nodded and Bulma swore that a tinge of pink colored his cheeks. She   
turned around and crawled to the edge of Vejiita's hand and called   
down to the group. 

"Ano, Saotome-san?" Nodoka stepped out of the plane and   
shielded her eyes to look up at her form. 

"Yes, Bulma-san? Do you know what's going on with Ranma and   
Akane?" 

"Maybe. Vejiita has a question. Seiika and Serori performed   
the Bonding ceremony today, right?" Nodoka nodded. "Do you know   
if they completed it?" 

Nodoka shook her head. "I don't know what you mean,   
Bulma-san." 

Bulma blushed and pointed to Vejiita to lower her more. He   
grunted but lowered her to just above Nodoka's head, squatting   
down to be more comfortable. "Saotome-san, there are three parts   
to the ceremony. There is the Marking, the Bonding, and the Union.   
What Serori and Seiika did today was the Bonding correct?"   
Nodoka shrugged her shoulders, but Vejiita nodded, answering for   
her. Bulma nodded back. A shriek pierced the air. She whipped her   
head around and pointed out on the field. "When Serori bit Seiika,   
that was the Marking. It signifies you are bonded to another."   
Bulma blushed and rubbed her neck unconsciously. Vejiita blew air   
through his nose and did his best impression of a smirk in that form.   
"And as you can tell by that last yell, Seiika just Marked Serori."   
Nodoka looked out on the field. Akane now had Ranma's neck in her   
jaws, and wasn't letting go. Ranma struggled a bit, but didn't resist   
all that much. Akane finally released him and lapped up the pool of   
blood forming in his fur. He growled at her and she responded in   
kind. They nuzzled each other, nipping and growling quietly. 

Bulma turned her attention back on Nodoka. "There's one   
part left, Nodoka-san. The Union. And I think you can guess what   
that is." Nodoka nodded her head, blushing like a schoolgirl. 

"They have not performed that stage yet, at least not to my   
knowledge." Bulma nodded and looked back up at Vejiita. 

His eyebrows came down in a scowl. He pointed his snout in   
the air and sniffed a few times. "Ceremony make Seiika in heat."   
He looked down at Bulma, his scowl turning deeper, if possible.   
"Serori will complete ceremony, now." 

Both Nodoka and Bulma gasped. They caught the meaning   
despite Vejiita's rough language skills. Nodoka shook her head. "It   
can't happen in this form! If Ranma and Akane...they won't be able   
to live with themselves like that! Isn't there something we can do?" 

Bulma helplessly looked at Vejiita. He snorted and turned   
back to the field. "Cut tails off. Won't like it, but will work." 

Bulma shook her head. "That'll be the last resort. If they   
could take control of the form, then they would be able to stop   
themselves." 

Vejiita nodded his head in agreement. He lowered his hand to   
let Bulma off, and stood up and walked back to the others, who were   
trying to keep Ranma occupied. Vejiita grunted and snarled at the   
other two, communicating the plan. The other two responded in kind,   
and as one, all three jumped Ranma, forcing him off and away from   
Akane. The four of them rolled around in the grass of the canyon   
and held Ranma tight. Ranma struggled fiercely, but was unable to   
break away. The three sentient Oozaru talked Ranma back up to   
rational thought, and when he stopped struggling, and intelligence   
gleamed in his scarlet eyes, they let go. 

Ranma stood up and shook his head, trying to clear it. He   
looked around for Akane, and saw her sitting a pace off. She   
growled at him, and he answered back with his own. He started to   
move toward her, but a sharp bark from Vejiita brought him back to   
the group. He grunted and snarled in her direction, but remained   
where he was. 

Akane was getting frustrated. Her mate wasn't finishing   
what he started! She stood up and went over to him, circling and   
smelling him cautiously. She whined at him, coaxing him to complete   
what he had started. As she circled him, she unconsciously released   
pheromones into the air, trying to get him excited and entice him to   
continue. 

Ranma was getting nervous. He could smell her...need...and it   
was driving him insane; making him crave Akane more and more, and   
he didn't know if he could control himself for much longer. He   
whined in her direction and followed each of her movements with his   
sharp red eyes, taking in her scent and readiness for him. Finally,   
his control and resolve broke, and he couldn't handle it any longer.   
He roared and lunged at Akane, attacking her with a leap. 

He wasn't the only one, though, who was affected by her   
readiness. The good thing about it was that they controlled   
themselves, or didn't realize why they felt those urges. All three   
Oozaru intercepted Ranma's charge and knocked him to the side.   
They rolled a few times and came to a stop, pinning Ranma   
underneath themselves until the pheromones stopped blocking his   
thoughts. 

Soon, Ranma calmed down and grunted his sentience. Vejiita   
smelled the air and turned around. Akane had come over by them   
and was trying to lure Ranma back to her. Goku, still sitting on   
Ranma, bellowed at Akane to come back to the rational; Gohan   
added his own encouragement. Meanwhile, Vejiita had snuck behind   
Akane, and leaping, pinned her with his arms and body. 

Ranma saw Vejiita attack Akane and desperately tried to get   
up and got to her. Goku remained where he was, grunting that it was   
for her own good. Ranma knew this, but the innate reaction to   
protect his mate was strong. He cried out to Akane; she snarled   
back and vainly tried to free herself from Vejiita's immensely strong   
grip. 

Vejiita, meanwhile, was struggling himself. The pheromones   
that Akane was encased in were affecting him strongly. He held her   
tightly, nipping at her neck with his fangs, trying to establish a link   
to her to help coax her into rational thought. Soon, though, Akane   
stopped struggling and grunted her sentience. Vejiita nipped once   
more at her neck and released her. He nodded to Goku and he got   
off Ranma. Ranma shot over to Akane, smelling her and checking to   
see if she was okay. 

Akane grunted her well-being, and not being used to the   
attention Ranma was giving her, swatted him away with her arm.   
Although Akane, not knowing her own strength, launched Ranma into   
the air, making him land several yards away on his tail. All four   
Oozaru laughed at the pride-injured Ranma. 

Bulma and the others cautiously made their way out of the   
jet and moved over to the five hulking Saiya-jiin. 

"Akane-chan, are you okay?" Kasumi called out worriedly.   
Akane looked down at her and nodded. She bent down and held her   
hand out. Kasumi stepped onto it and Akane slowly brought it up   
face-level. 

Kasumi looked eye-to-eye with Akane. Akane grinned at her   
and growled gently. "Kasumi-neechan." Ranma ambled over to Akane   
and her sister. He sniffed at Kasumi a few times, and to Kasumi's   
extreme surprise, licked her. 

Kasumi stared with shock at the large were-monkey.   
"Ranma-kun! Was that necessary?" Ranma just grinned widely and   
bent down near his family, offering his hand for a ride. Nodoka and   
Ukyou climbed aboard and held tight as Ranma brought his hand   
level with Akane's. 

"Oh, dear. Ranma-chan, you are really tall now, aren't you?"   
Nodoka looked around anxiously, and held on tightly to one of   
Ranma's fingers. 

"You can see forever at this height!" Ukyou looked around, as   
well, marveling at the sights. Ranma grunted at Akane, and she   
growled back. She turned around and rumbled to Vejiita, who   
responded with a bark. 

"What are you saying, Akane-chan?" Kasumi asked innocently.   
"I'm afraid I don't understand growls and grunts all that well." 

Akane turned back to Kasumi. "Asking how long in form."   
Akane's gravelly voice answered her. 

Goku, who was silent while watching the families' reaction to   
their new forms, looked around suddenly and barked sharply. The   
other four Oozaru looked up and scanned the area. 

Nodoka asked, "What's wrong, Ranma?" 

"Goku feel presence. Strong." Ranma answered, watching the   
horizon. Gohan was the one who spotted the newcomers. He   
growled and flared his aura. The others reacted in the same way.   
Soon, the non-Oozaru of the group saw the two Amazons bounce into   
sight. They stopped near Soun and Genma. 

"Good evening, everyone." Cologne addressed the group.   
Soun and Genma nodded. 

Shampoo, after looking around, called out. "Where Airen?"   
Akane's aura intensified and she growled deep in her throat, fur   
bristling. 

Everyone noticed Akane's change in attitude, including   
Cologne. She raised an eyebrow and looked up at the flaming   
Oozaru. "Giant monkeys? With auras?" She glanced at each of the   
other Oozaru. "All very powerful ones, at that." 

Shampoo did notice Akane's flare of anger, and realized that   
Nodoka, Ukyou and Kasumi were in the hands of Ranma and Akane.   
"Aiyah! What Kasumi doing in hand of monster? Spatula girl and   
Airen's mother in monster's hand, too?" 

Bulma and ChiChi looked indignant. "They are not monsters,   
girl! Watch what you say!" 

Shampoo turned to the two fuming females and shrugged.   
"Look like monsters to Shampoo. King Kong movie on TV." 

Ranma and Akane lowered their cargo to the ground. Ukyou   
snickered, and went over to Cologne and Shampoo. "You looking for   
your 'Airen'?" Akane growled. She pointed behind her. "He's right   
there, Sugar." 

Shampoo looked, but shook her head, frustrated. "Shampoo   
no see Ranma. Only see King Kong." 

Ranma and Akane both snorted through their snouts. Ranma   
crossed his arms and rumbled. "Shampoo, I'm here." 

Shampoo looked up, startled wouldn't even begin to cover her   
expression. Cologne raised the other eyebrow, but said nothing.   
She wanted to see where this was headed on its own. 

Shampoo backed away. "You monster! Not Airen!" 

Akane snarled and bent down. She picked the Amazon up and   
placed her in Ranma's hand. "Shampoo, that's Ranma." 

Shampoo squealed in fright. "How you know name, monster?" 

She snorted once more. "I'm Akane." 

Shampoo shook her head violently and pulled out her bonbori.   
"No, you monsters! Not Airen and Violent Tomboy!" 

Vejiita, watching the confrontation with a bored glance,   
perked up at Shampoo's description of his sister. He growled nastily   
and stomped over to Ranma's hand and bellowed at the diminutive   
Shampoo. She freaked out, and with a small 'Eek!', fainted in   
Ranma's hand. Vejiita snorted in disgust and walked over to Goku,   
pulling him away by the tail from the group to start sparring. Goku   
roared out in pain and quickly followed Vejiita. Gohan ambled after   
his father to watch, leaving Ranma and Akane alone with the   
Amazons and family members. 

Akane mimicked her brother's snort, and picked up the   
purple-haired Amazon and placed her on the ground next to Cologne.   
Cologne clucked her tongue at her great-granddaughter and bounced   
over to Ranma. She tapped on his foot with her walking stick to get   
his attention. "Ghoul..." he rumbled menacingly. 

Cologne chuckled and looked up. "Ah...so it really is you,   
son-in-law." Akane growled in reply and bristled visibly. Cologne   
nodded at Akane. "And, you too, Akane." She looked over at the   
other three Oozaru in the distance, fighting with each other. "Who   
are your friends?" 

Ranma growled, but lowered the intensity of his aura. He   
bent down and offered his hand to the Matriarch of the Amazons.   
She hopped onto it and waited patiently as Ranma brought her   
face-level. Ranma pointed out the Humans first. "Bulma-san,   
ChiChi-san." Each nodded at their names. He then pointed out the   
Oozaru. "Goku-san, Gohan-san, Vejiita-oujisama." He then pointed   
at Akane. "Seiika-oujosama, my mate." Ranma stressed the phrase   
'my mate' with a burst of aura. 

Cologne noticed the stress and smiled slightly. "Mate?" She   
shook her head and wagged her finger at him in mock-anger.   
"Son-in-law, you didin't do anything foolish like try to marry Akane   
again, did you?" He nodded, lips slightly curled in a snarl, and stared   
into Cologne's eyes, daring her to challenge him and his claim. 

Akane's aura flared bright and she roared at Cologne, red   
eyes gleaming in the light. "Yes, mate!" Her roaring caught Vejiita   
and the others' attention. Instantly Vejiita was at her side, glaring   
at the tiny female on Ranma's palm. She spoke slowly, threats   
dripping from each word. "Do not challenge the Bond, Cologne! You   
and all you know will die if the Bond is challenged!" She growled   
ferally and placed her snout right next to Cologne's face. She bared   
her tremendously sharp teeth and spoke calmly and clearly. "My   
treat." Vejiita and Ranma snarled their agreement. 

Cologne took the threat calmly and nodded. "I understand,   
Akane." At this point, Gohan barked sharply and pointed at the   
moon-ball. It was flickering. 

Ranma spoke to Cologne. "Turning back. Get down." Cologne   
nodded and jumped off Ranma's hand when he had lowered it far   
enough. 

Bulma and ChiChi widened their eyes at Ranma's words. They   
rushed into the jet and returned with a handful of blankets. They   
handed Kasumi and Nodoka a blanket. 

"What are these for?" Nodoka asked, fingering the soft   
material. 

"Well, unless you want Seiika and Serori running around   
naked, these are to cover them up after they're done transforming   
back." Bulma explained with a smile. 

ChiChi sighed. "Goku and Gohan wouldn't mind." 

"Vejiita wouldn't either." Bulma made a face. "Saiya-jiin are   
*so* modest about nudity." ChiChi giggled and Bulma joined her as   
they watched and waited for the five to shrink to normal size. 

ChiChi wrapped a blanket around Gohan and kissed his   
forehead. He blushed and smiled, wrapping the blanket around his   
waist. ChiChi wrapped the other around Goku and greeted him with   
a peck on the cheek. Goku smiled and kissed her hungrily on the lips,   
hugging her tight to him. 

ChiChi was, nevertheless, surprised. "What's gotten into you,   
Goku-saa?" 

He nuzzled her neck, nipping at her shoulder and collarbone.   
"Seiika smelled...really good. Almost couldn't control myself." 

ChiChi's eyes widened dramatically. She pushed him away a   
bit. "Oh my. Well, control yourself, now." 

Goku looked hurt, but stopped. He raised an eyebrow at his   
wife and mate. "But I can continue later?" 

ChiChi blushed and smiled. "We'll see, Goku-saa."   
*** 

Bulma wrapped her blanket around the naked Prince, but not   
without getting an eyeful of his 'physique.' She smiled and arched an   
eyebrow. "Here you go, Vejiita-chan." 

He nodded gruffly, and glancing around, softly nipped her   
nose. Bulma returned the kiss, and wrapped her arms around him.   
He moved his mouth to her neck, gently sucking on the Mark he had   
created last night. Bulma moaned quietly in his ear. He caught   
himself before things could get out of hand and backed up a step.   
He visibly composed himself and wrapped the blanket around his   
waist tightly. He gave Bulma a look that said 'later, definitely later,'   
and walked up to the two Amazons, tail lashing agitatedly. He   
demanded loudly. "Who are you, and what are you to Seiika and   
Serori?" 

Cologne looked over the Prince, feeling his aura and noting his   
flailing appendage with a small start. Cologne smiled. "You are a   
strong one, now, aren't you?" Vejiita just crossed his arms and   
glared at her. "Who are Seiika and Serori? Fruit and Celery? Is   
that a new dessert?" 

Vejiita started to get mad. "Tell me, old woman, before I   
blast you into Hell!" He raised his palm and shot off a ki-ball,   
destroying a tree in the distance. 

Bulma came over and pulled him away, trying to calm him   
down. He wouldn't have anything to do with it. He stomped back   
over to Cologne and got in her face. "Well?" He increased his aura,   
showing he meant what he said, and was not afraid of the   
repercussions. 

Vejiita's aura did die down, slightly, when a small hand rested   
on his arm. "Vejiita-chan, calm down." He did, but a scowl firmly   
etched itself on his features. He continued to glare at Cologne. 

Akane turned to face Cologne with a scowl matching the one   
on Vejiita's face. "You don't want to get on Vejiita-chan's bad side,   
Cologne." Her face darkened and her tail whipped back and forth.   
"Or mine, for that matter." 

At that moment, Shampoo chose to wake up. She opened her   
eyes and the first thing she saw were two brown tails flashing back   
and forth in front of her. She naturally grabbed the closest one,   
pulling it to her to see what it was, up close. 

It just so happened to be that the tail she grabbed was   
attached to Akane. The Saiya-jiin Princess screamed in agony and   
fell onto Vejiita, gasping in pain. Vejiita's eyes went wide as he   
caught her. "What's wrong, Seiika?" 

All of a sudden the pain stopped, and Akane stopped   
screaming. She turned around and saw Ranma had Shampoo in his   
grasp, dangling by her neck. His face was clouded in fury and his   
aura was going full-blast. "Let go of her tail, Shampoo, or I will not   
hesitate to snap your neck." 

Shampoo nodded, her eyes wide with fear. She quickly   
dropped the appendage. Ranma stared into Shampoo's eyes for a   
moment, and released his grip. Shampoo quickly scurried away and   
hid behind Cologne. 

Ranma kneeled in front of Akane, who was sitting on the   
ground, gently fingering her tail. Vejiita was next to her, rubbing   
her shoulders. Ranma reached out and touched it, stroking it softly   
with his fingers. "Are you hurt? Is it broken?" 

She shook her head, hiccuping from the pain. "No, she just   
pulled really hard." She leaned her forehead against Ranma. He   
rumbled in his throat and continued to stroke it, calming her down.   
Vejiita growled deep in his throat and stood up, wanting to inflict   
damage to the purple-haired creature that hurt his sister. Akane   
glanced at him and shook her head. He just snorted and stomped   
away from the group. 

Cologne cleared her throat and spoke. "Ranma, are you going   
to explain why you just physically attacked your fiancée?" 

Everyone that didn't know Ranma's fiancée situation looked at   
the male in question. "Fiancée?" 

Ranma's head snapped up and around at Cologne. "Shampoo is   
not my fiancée," he said angrily, aura blazing strong once again.   
"Akane is my mate and my wife. She has been since we were two   
years old. Shampoo has no claim over me, since I was 'claimed'   
before I even got to your stupid village or this planet. No one has a   
claim on me except Akane, and I have the Mark to prove it." He   
pointed to the red spot on his neck where Akane bit him earlier.   
Both Shampoo and Ukyou's eyes widened at Ranma's words. 

Cologne's widened as well. She walked around Akane and   
Ranma, who were glaring at her and growling deep in their throats,   
visible death threats oozing out of their stares. She came to a stop   
in front of them and sighed. "Very well, then, Ranma. I see you have   
made your choice." She nodded her head at Ranma's Mark on Akane.   
"But before I dissolve the marriage claim," Shampoo cried out in   
protest. 

"No, Great-Grandmother! I love Ranma. He mine!" 

Ranma stood up and stomped over to Shampoo. He leaned   
close, and spoke. "I am not yours, Shampoo! I never was, and never   
will be. I don't love you. I never have. Can't you get it through your   
thick skull?" 

Shampoo shook her head. "I give you kiss of marriage. I   
must marry you and bring you to village." 

Ranma growled in frustration, and shook his head. "I don't   
care about your stupid Amazon laws, Shampoo. They're null and void   
here in Japan." 

He was interrupted by Akane's hand on his arm. He glanced   
at her and she shook her head. She turned to the Chinese Amazon   
and spoke calmly and clearly, surprising all that was listening and   
were very familiar with her temper. "Shampoo, you have no claim on   
Ranma. He is mine, as much as I am his. We have been this way   
since we were children. Long before you were even born, Shampoo.   
If you challenge the Bond between us, you will die, Shampoo. By one   
of our hands. We can not be separated, and nothing can come   
between us. Our kind mates for life. This life and beyond. Do you   
understand, Shampoo?" 

Shampoo glanced at Akane, disbelief gracing her features.   
"You talk nonsense, Violent Tomboy." 

Akane bristled, her aura flashing into visible range. "Alright,   
then. I guess you only understand one way. I didn't want to have to   
do it this way." 

Ranma shook his head. "Don't, Akane. Shampoo doesn't know   
what you're capable of." 

Akane started to speak, but was interrupted by Shampoo's   
snort. "Violent Tomboy don't know what Shampoo capable of.   
Tomboy is weak as kitten." Ranma cringed at the comparison, for   
more than one reason. 

Akane growled at Shampoo. "Nani? You are mocking me,   
Shampoo?" Akane's aura started to pulse. "Fine! Shampoo, I, Seiika   
no Oujo, Crown Princess of Vejiita-sei, Heir to the Saiya-jiin Empire,   
and as Serori's mate, challenge you! You will give up all claims on   
Serori and acknowledge my claim on him!" 

Shampoo blinked a few times at the names she rattled off.   
"Who Serori? I thought we fight for Ranma?" 

Ukyou hissed. "Serori _is_ Ranma, Shampoo. And Seiika is   
Akane. Those are their real names." 

Shampoo nodded, and crouched into a fighting stance, pulling   
out her fighting clubs. "All right, Fruity Tomboy. That way you want   
it, that fine with Shampoo." 

Everyone backed away from the two dueling females.   
Shampoo yelled and swung one of the bonbori at Akane's head. She   
ducked to avoid the shot and launched a leg at Shampoo's feet. The   
Amazon jumped over the outstretched leg, and drove her own at   
Akane's head. Akane countered, but not enough. The foot struck   
her shoulder and she cried out as she skidded away from Shampoo. 

Ranma mimicked her cry, but Vejiita stopped him with a hand   
on his shoulder. Vejiita nodded his head toward his twin and   
indicated her expression. Ranma saw the Saiya-jiin fire visibly   
burning in Akane's eyes, and nodded. There was nothing he could do   
to stop her, at this point. 

Akane got up swiftly and crouched once more. She watched   
Shampoo circle, a look of clear dominance on the Amazon's face.   
"You give up, Fruity-Tomboy? Shampoo no want to hurt you too bad.   
Airen might get sad, then." Shampoo smiled, a look of pity gracing   
her features. 

Akane smirked, a sneer curling over her lips. "No, I think you   
should be the one that is giving up, Shampoo. Give Ranma one last   
glance, for it will be your last!" Akane screamed, her aura flaming   
around her, bloodlust singing in her expression. 

Everyone backed up more, for the heat given off by Akane   
was overwhelming. Vejiita smirked, and shook his head. He spoke to   
Ranma. "I hope that bitch has said her goodbyes, Serori. Seiika is   
going to kill her." 

Ranma glanced at Vejiita, seeing the bloodlust echoed off his   
own face. He turned back to Akane and yelled. "Don't, Akane! She's   
not worth it!" 

Akane shook her head. "I have to, Ranma. She doesn't   
understand any other way. She will not bother us anymore!" With   
that, Akane cupped her hands in front of her and screamed again,   
releasing the accumulated ki at Shampoo. 

*** 

Akane panted heavily, exhausted by the extremely large blast   
she released. She looked into the smoky blue-grey eyes of Ranma,   
who stood in front of her, holding her hands by the wrists over her   
head. "Why did you do that, Ranma? You could have been hit." 

Ranma brought her hands down, and intertwined her fingers   
with his own. "You are not a murderer, Akane. If you killed   
Shampoo, you would not have been able to live with yourself after   
that. It was your bloodlust doing all the fighting, Akane, not you." 

Akane's face twisted into an unreadable expression. "I tried   
talking to her, but she wouldn't listen. That was the only talking she   
knows." She collapsed onto his chest and cried openly. 

Ranma wrapped her in his arms and comforted her, smoothing   
down her hair. "I know, Akane-chan. You tried. But I think she   
heard you now." He threw a glance back at the Amazons. Shampoo   
had a look of horror frozen upon her face, while Cologne had her   
eyes closed, an unreadable expression flickering across her   
shriveled and wrinkled features. 

Cologne opened her eyes and shook her head in amazement.   
"We heard, Ranma." She pogoed over to the young Saiya-jiin couple,   
Shampoo slowly following behind. "And we understand. Akane has   
won the battle. If you did not deflect the ki blast, Shampoo would   
have been killed." She studied the now-calm Akane with a practiced   
eye. "The marriage claim is defunct. But I'd like to know where   
Akane accumulated all of that ki. She never had that much before."   
Cologne then frowned. "You will tell me what you are, and your   
planet comment. You are not human anymore." She looked around at   
the other Saiya-jiin, peering at each of them. "You five are not   
human." 

Akane shook her head, moving out of Ranma's embrace. "We   
never were. Our race is called Saiya-jiin. The four of us were born   
on Vejiita-sei, and Ranma and I landed on Chikyuu about sixteen   
years ago. Goku arrived much earlier, and Vejiita-chan landed about   
a year or so ago." 

Ranma nodded. "Our memories and abilities were blocked   
when we arrived by Kami-sama," Nodoka, Soun and Genma all gasped   
when they heard that. They did not know the green man was The   
Kami-sama, himself. "Along with our tails being removed." 

Cologne nodded. "I see. So why do you have a tail now?" 

"It grew back." 

Bulma interjected. "Actually, Kami-sama gave the Saiya-jiin   
back the tails. He was blocking their growth." 

Gohan added. "He said we would need the strength for the   
new enemy that was coming." 

Cologne frowned. "I wonder if that's what I felt yesterday." 

Bulma looked interested. "You sensed the new enemy?   
Kami-sama only told us last night." 

She nodded. "I sensed something gathering last night, as   
well." She frowned. "I think I felt it before, but long ago." 

Bulma asked her excitedly. "Do you know what it is? Are   
they black and white creatures?" Vejiita frowned in Bulma's   
direction, but remained quiet. 

Cologne raised an eyebrow. "Black and white creatures you   
say? Hmm, I do not remember when or what it felt like, or any black   
and white creatures." Cologne closed her eyes. "It might have been   
the ki the god Kami-sama gave off last night, and the original time.   
I don't know." 

Gohan spoke up. "Bulma-san, do you know what the new enemy   
is?" 

She shook her head. "No, Gohan-chan, I don't think so. I did   
have a dream last night with these creatures in it, and they were   
attacking everyone. I don't know if they are the new one, or not." 

ChiChi placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it   
comfortingly. "You're having dreams again, Bulma?" 

She nodded. "I think so, ChiChi. When Vejiita woke me up   
last night, he said I was talking in my sleep...." 

Goku interrupted her. "Why did you wake her up, Vejiita?" 

Vejiita blushed a bit, and scowled. "Shut up, Kakarotto.   
That's none of your business." 

Bulma blushed as well and continued. "He said I was yelling   
out, and conversing with him." 

"What were you yelling out?" Ranma asked. 

She turned to Vejiita. He scowled and looked down, glancing   
at his sister. "She said 'Protect the Princess.'" The others gasped   
and turned to Akane, who had a startled look. 

"Princess? Why me?" Ranma wrapped his tail around her   
waist in a protective gesture. She gingerly wrapped hers around his   
leg. It was still sore from earlier. 

"Why not you?" he said with a frown. "Everyone comes after   
you, Akane. Toma, Kirin, Herb, Saffron..." He trailed off, frowning.   
He tightened his grip on her. "Don't worry. I won't let nothin'   
happen to you, Akane-chan. Nothing." 

Vejiita's scowl deepened. "Worry, Serori. Bulma said you   
were the first to fall." 

A rare frown flashed across Goku's features. "Do you know   
the outcome of the battle, Bulma-san?" 

She shook her head. "Not entirely. The Z senshi were the   
first to fall, then followed by Serori, Vejiita and then you, Goku."   
The others gasped at this bit of news. "All three of you were Super   
Saiya-jiin at the time." 

"Then Gohan showed up with two other Super Saiya-jiin and   
started to attack." She shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "That's   
all I can recall." 

"Do you know what defeated us, Bulma-san? I mean, besides   
them being black and white creatures?" Gohan persisted. 

She shook her head again. "All I remember is this green   
light--I don't know if it was their ki or a laser beam of some sort.   
The dream grew fuzzy, after that." She shrugged her shoulders   
helplessly. "I'm sorry, minna." 

Goku smiled at his friend. "Don't worry, Bulma. We'll take   
care of everything." He turned to Vejiita. "Vejiita, I can tell you've   
gotten stronger since Friezer. Have you become a Super Saiya-jiin   
yet?" 

Vejiita scowled and frowned. He turned away from Goku and   
faced the horizon. "Not yet, Kakarotto. I was close a few times." 

Goku shrugged. "All right, then. Keep trying!" He then   
turned to Ranma. "Serori, you have studied the Art, haven't you?" 

Ranma nodded. "Yup. I'm the best in Tokyo." 

"What style do you use?" 

Ranma puffed a little. "It's the family's style. Musabetsu   
Kasebuto. I'm the heir to the Saotome Ryu, and Akane is the heir to   
the Tendo Ryu. We're the only two families who practice the   
Indiscriminate Grappling style." 

Soun nodded his head in agreement. "That's why we joined   
the two of you together as fiancées, so the schools could be joined   
at last." Tears sprung to Soun's eyes. "And now, our dream has   
come true, right, Saotome?" 

Genma nodded his head. "Indeed, Tendo. I knew taking   
Ranma on that training trip was a good idea." 

Ranma suddenly appeared on Genma's head, aura bright   
surrounding him. "Are you sure about that Oyaji? See, I don't see   
it that way, at all!" With that, Ranma kicked Genma into the air and   
started to attack him, blows going fast and furious. 

Goku and Vejiita raptly followed the fight going on in the air.   
Their eyes easily followed Ranma's movements as he beat up his   
well-deserving foster father. To the non-combatants, though, they   
were fuzzy blurs, or just invisible. 

Goku spoke quietly to Vejiita, still focusing on the fight.   
"He's got great potential." 

Vejiita nodded. "Hai. His training is vastly incomplete. If he   
was trained properly, with all his memories and abilities intact, he   
would be close to our level, now. He is a Saiya-jiin Elite." 

Goku smiled wide. "We'll have to change that, then, won't we,   
Vejiita?" 

Vejiita grunted and flew up to the combatants. He flashed in   
and pulled Genma away from Ranma, holding the larger man by the   
back of his gi. Ranma immediately stopped. "Hey, what's the big   
idea?" 

Vejiita grunted again. He dropped Genma into the waiting   
arms of Goku. "Stop pulverizing someone that can't fight back   
properly." 

Genma moaned on the ground. Ranma snorted and waved him   
off. "Oyaji has taken and dished out worse to me before." Ranma   
floated in the air with a smug look on his face. 

Vejiita grinned. "Then fight me."   
  
Ranma looked at Vejiita. Sure, he was small, but he knew size   
doesn't matter. Ranma also remembered from Vejiita-sei that the   
Prince was a powerful creature, especially when pissed off; he didn't   
know if he would be able to take him then.   
  
"Sure," he said confidently. Ranma went into a ready stance.   
"Anytime you're ready." Within moments the battle was underway.   


Akane watched the two combatants with a practiced eye.   
Even then, Ranma and Vejiita were mere blurs in the sky; a beige   
flash of an arm or a tuft of black hair was all that was seen for   
several minutes.   
  
Soon, Ranma came flying out of the air and landed on the   
ground unceremoniously. He had numerous cuts and bruises   
scattered over his body. He landed next to Akane. 

"Ranma, are you okay?" She asked him worriedly. 

He sat up and shook his head to clear it. "Ugh!" He looked up   
at the smirking form of Vejiita, still floating in the air. 

"Are you done now, boy? Or are you ready to start?" 

Ranma spit out a mouthful of dirt and glared up at his Prince.   
"Start? What do you think we were doing?" 

Vejiita laughed out loud. "Ha! I was just doing my stretches!   
I haven't even powered up, yet!" He smirked at the perturbed   
Ranma, and preened his knuckles in boredom. 

Ranma gritted his teeth and snarled. "Yeah, well, I was just   
doing a warm-up kata, as well!" He growled under his breath   
something about snot-nosed royalty. He turned to Akane, who had   
her eyebrow raised at his comment. He blushed slightly and spoke.   
"Akane, when I ask for it, I want you to throw cold water on me."   
He stood up and flared his aura bright. 

"Ranma, that would trigger your curse! Are you sure you want   
to let everyone know about it?" 

He shrugged. "They'd learn about it at some point. Might as   
well use it to my advantage as a surprise tactic, ne?" 

Akane slowly nodded, but before Ranma could jump into the   
air, she grabbed his head in her hands and brought him in for the   
most passionate kiss she could muster. 

When she released him, Ranma looked at her in shock.   
"What...what was that for? Not that I'm complainin' or nothin'..." He   
gave her a small smile. 

"For luck," she blushed. She threw her voice into the air so   
Vejiita could hear her next comment. "Trounce on His Highness' ass,   
Ranma-chan!" 

Vejiita laughed and crossed his arms. "I don't think he'll be   
doing the trouncing today, Seiika." He raised an eyebrow. "Do   
I get what he got if I win?" Akane just blew him a raspberry.   
  
Ranma jumped into the air and leveled out with Vejiita. "So   
are you powered up, yet?" 

Vejiita shook his head and smirked. "Are you sure you want   
me to do that? You might get hurt, little boy." 

Ranma nodded. "If I'm going to get mutilated tonight, I   
might as well get it over with." He crossed his arms and mimicked   
the male in front of him. "Unless I'm the one that gets to do the   
mutilating." 

Vejiita snorted at his cocky attitude. "You could stand to get   
knocked down a notch or two, little boy!" With that, Vejiita yelled   
and started to gather his power into his aura. He grew brighter and   
brighter. 

Ranma widened his eyes and the sheer power that was   
radiating from the male in front of him. "And he's still powering up!"   
He called out to the glowing Prince. "If I remember correctly, I am   
older than you, Vejiita-ouji." 

Vejiita finally finished powering up and stood there, a corona   
of light. He cracked his knuckles and launched a barrage of kicks   
and punches at Ranma. "Not anymore, Serori." 

Goku and Gohan both 'tsked' at the display of machismo.   
Gohan commented out loud. "Vejiita-san is going to murder   
Serori-san." Goku nodded in agreement. 

Akane walked up next to the father and son with a cup of   
cold water in her hand. "Don't underestimate him, Goku-san. Ranma   
always has a trick or two up his sleeve." 

Gohan pointed out. "But Serori-san isn't wearing any clothes!"   
Akane heavily facefaulted with the rest of the group that heard his   
comment. 

Nodoka called out to Akane. "What are you going to do with   
the water, Akane-chan?" 

Akane kept one eye on the battle and answered her. "Ranma   
asked for it." 

Nodoka, Genma, Soun, and Ukyou's eyes all widened   
dramatically. "He did?" Ukyou wondered aloud. "But then that would   
mean..." 

Cologne put an arm up to silence Ukyou. "We know what that   
means, child. He," she pointed to the other combatant with Ranma,   
"he does not." 

Shampoo nodded. "Ranma use curse as surprise, right,   
'Babachan?" Cologne nodded in agreement. 

Bulma perked her ears up at the mention of the curse.   
"Curse? What curse?" 

Ukyou nodded and smiled. "Jusenkyo." 

"What's Jusenkyo?" 

Soun started to answer, but was silenced by a gentle hand on   
his arm. Kasumi smiled sweetly at her father. "Otousan, why not   
just show them?" With that, she poured a kettle of cold water over   
Genma's head. The others gasped at the sight where Genma stood,   
for now there was a Giant Panda in his spot, waving a sign that said,   
*Tragic story...* 

"A panda? Where'd that come from?" exclaimed Goku. 

"That's Saotome-san, Son-kun!" sighed Bulma, shaking her   
head. "So how does it work?" 

"Cold water triggers the curse, and hot water reverts them   
back to their natural forms." Ukyou told them. 

"So Serori-san turns into a panda? What good will that do in   
the fight?" ChiChi asked confusedly. 

"Ranma no change into panda." Shampoo said rather   
disgustedly. "Many curses at Jusenkyo. He fall into different one." 

"How did he get the curse? And what does he turn into?"   
Bulma persisted, an interested gleam entering her eyes. 

Cologne explained the Legend of the Cursed Springs. "In   
China, there is a valley of mist. And within the valley lie several   
dozen natural springs. Many bamboo poles are stuck in the ground in   
various places. It is a famous training ground, and Genma brought   
Ranma there to train." 

Genma produced another sign. *The book said it was   
legendary.* 

Soun nodded his head. "Ah, the true horror of Jusenkyo was   
soon revealed that if you fall into one of the springs you take on the   
form that was last drowned within." 

"So, Saotome-san, you fell into..." Bulma trailed off. 

*Shaoniichuan: Spring of Drowned Panda.* 

Bulma nodded. "And Serori-kun fell into..." 

Akane raised a hand. "You'll find out soon enough." And just   
as Akane turned back to the fight, Ranma had broken away from   
Vejiita's clutches. He yelled down to her before he got pulled in   
again. 

"Akane, now!" 

Akane shot into the air and splashed Ranma and Vejiita at the   
same time. 

Vejiita let go of Ranma and sputtered. "What in the hell was   
that for?" He yelled at Akane. "I don't need a bath!" 

She smirked. "I know." She floated over to Ranma and gave   
him a peck on the cheek. "Good luck, Ranko!" She winked at him and   
returned to the ground. 

"Sankyuu!" 

Vejiita's eyes widened at the vision in front of him. Where   
before floated a male Ranma, now floated a petite redhead that was   
quite...female. "Who in the hell are you?" 

'Ranko' waggled her eyebrows, sashayed closer to him, and ran   
a finger up his chest. She brushed her tail up against his legs   
suggestively. "What, you don't remember me, Vejiita-oujisama? I'm   
your long lost lover, Ranko!" With that, she launched herself at him.   
"Kachuu Tenshin Ameguriken!" 

Vejiita was so shocked by the sight of the busty female   
coming on to him that he was affected by Ranko's blows. He   
staggered back at the sheer number of them, staring into space.   
"Ranko? Lover?? Where's Serori?" He snapped to attention,   
addressing the unfamiliar female in front of him, grabbing her arm   
in the process. 

Ranma was blown away by the sheer luck or skill Vejiita had   
to just pluck her arm out of her Chestnut Fist attack. She hung   
there by her arm, struggling to get out of his grasp. "Hey, leggo me!   
I thought you wanted to fight, not dance!" 

Vejiita peered into Ranma's face. "Is that you, Serori?" 

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Vejiita-ouji, it's me. Are we   
gonna fight or not?" 

He snickered a bit. "Well, I could just stand here and stare   
at your naked body..." 

Ranma looked down. "Aww, kuso!" She had forgotten about   
that. She shrugged. "Oh, well." Ranma wrapped her legs around   
Vejiita, and flipped him over. "Alley oop!" 

Vejiita, surprised by the move, let go of Ranma's arm.   
"Kachuu Tenshin Ameguriken!" Another barrage of punches hit   
Vejiita. As Ranma was punching he called out an amendment.   
"Saotome revised version--Flaming nut fist!" Now, with each punch,   
a burst of ki was attached, adding to the damage caused. 

Vejiita was pushed back, stunned. "I felt those!" He got a   
feral grin to his face. "Okay, now we start going at it for real!"   
With that, he shot a ki ball at Ranma's head. 

Ranma ducked and watched it soar over his head, feeling the   
heat from the blast singe a few loose hairs. "You missed! I'm   
shorter as a girl!" He readied his own strike. "Mouko Takabisha!" 

The blast was just batted away by Vejiita. "You have to do   
better than that, boy!" He fired off several rounds of numerous   
small ki balls. Ranma avoided most of them, but there were too many   
to avoid them all. He was thrown back, stung by the blows. Ranma   
knew he wasn't going to win the fight today--Vejiita was too strong,   
and he had barely made a scratch on him. Ranma decided to end it   
now. Hopefully. 

"Okay, that does it!" Ranma began to subtly lead Vejiita into   
a spiral, and at the same time cooling his aura into the 'Soul of Ice'   
that Cologne taught him. He threw a barrage of kicks and punches   
to keep Vejiita's hot aura going strong. 

Akane, who was watching the fight the entire time, noticed   
the spiral was forming. She shot over to the group, pulling Bulma   
and ChiChi behind her. "Everyone run for cover! Ranma's spiraling!" 

All the Nerimians recognized the signs and followed Akane as   
she ran for the Capsule jet. The Z Senshi looked at them in   
confusion. "Spiraling? What's wrong with that?" 

Akane called from the plane. "It's Ranma's final and most   
powerful attack. You need to get out of the way!" 

Cologne called out to Ranma. "Now, Ranma!" 

With that, Ranma executed the final move. "Hiryuu Shoten   
Ha!" He mixed his cold aura and Vejiita's flaming one and created   
the tornado. 

The wind whipped around Goku and Gohan, who were still out   
in the open. "How'd he do that, 'Tousan?" Gohan asked. 

Goku shielded his eyes from the flying debris and watched   
the tornado spin around. "I don't know, Gohan. We'll have to ask   
Serori-kun." 

~Inside the Tornado~ 

Vejiita smirked at Ranma. "I didn't know you had this inside   
you, Serori." 

Ranma smiled. "This ain't very big. I've made stronger ones   
when I'm male. When I'm female, I have more speed, rather than   
strength." 

Vejiita nodded to himself. "You've held your own pretty well   
out there tonight, Serori, for being so under-trained. I was a bit   
surprised." Vejiita admitted grudgingly. He looked around at the   
swirling ki. "You'll have to show me how to do this move." 

"Yeah, well, maybe." Ranma brightened. "I will if you train   
me." 

Vejiita raised an eyebrow. "And if I don't?" 

Ranma shrugged. "Then I don't show you the tornado."   
Ranma then grinned evilly. "And I pester you to death until you do.   
Also, I think I remember Akane screaming and throwing a tantrum   
one morning because she found Tellurian snapping beetles in her   
bath. I wonder if she'd like to know how they got there..." 

Vejiita's eyes widened, a deep scowl gracing his chiseled   
features. "There's no need to bring that up." 

Ranma smirked, but said nothing. 

They were silent for a moment, as the tornado whirled around   
them, with no sign of dissipating. "So, what about Seiika?" 

"What about her?" Ranma asked defensively. 

"Will she want to train, as well?" 

Ranma nodded and smiled widely. "Oh, boy. Don't even think   
of leaving her outta that. She's always complainin' that I don't treat   
her like a real martial artist." 

"And why don't you?" A small flicker went through Vejiita's   
aura. 

Ranma blushed. "Well, if I was to go all out on her, I'd end up   
hurtin' her...and I don't want to do that." 

Vejiita crossed his arms. "It's the only way she'd learn.   
Would you want to be babied? She is a senshi, is she not?" 

"Well, yeah, but still..." Ranma scratched his head,   
uncomfortable with the conversation. 

Vejiita looked around. "Hnnpf. It's time to end this." He   
glanced at Ranma's still naked form. "You really have to explain how   
you're female, now." Ranma shrugged noncommittally. Vejiita   
clenched his fists together and yelled, blasting his aura out around   
him, dissipating the tornado. 

Ranma blinked at the other male. "Why didn't you do that in   
the first place?" 

He shrugged. "I wanted to talk to you in private. It wasn't   
doing any damage, so I'd thought, 'What the hell!'" Vejiita smirked   
at him and attacked Ranma once more. 

The others on the ground blinked when the tornado vanished   
suddenly. Both appeared unscathed by the tornado. Cologne raised   
an eyebrow. "My, both Ranma and the other alien are unhurt." 

Akane nodded. "Vejiita-chan is definitely stronger than   
Ranma." 

Cologne studied Vejiita, then Akane, noting some similarities.   
"What is the small one to you, Akane?" 

Akane blinked and looked at Cologne. "Didn't you know? He's   
my brother--my twin, actually." She said with a hint of pride in her   
voice. 

"Wasn't he called a prince earlier?" 

She nodded. "Yup. My full title is 'Seiika-oujosama, Crown   
Princess of Vejiita-sei, Heir to the Saiya-jiin Empire.'" Akane smiled   
a bit. "It's a mouthful." 

Cologne looked impressed. She winked and curtsied to Akane.   
"Your Highness." Akane just blushed and turned away slightly.   
Cologne continued. "Akane-chan, I see and acknowledge your   
love for Ranma, and his for you. You will not have to worry about   
Shampoo's claim any more." Cologne smiled at her kindly. "Your Bond   
is strong." 

Akane nodded, blushing still. "Saiya-jiin Mate for life. We   
usually don't Bond as early as Serori-chan and I did on Vejiita-sei,   
but we knew back then." 

Cologne inclined her head in agreement. "I understand." She   
looked up at the fighters. They were still going as strong as ever.   
"Love him well, child. The two of you are strongest together." 

Akane smiled. "I know. Arigato." 

Cologne continued once more. "If you need help fighting the   
new enemy we were talking about earlier, don't hesitate to ask. I   
might be able to come up with where I felt that energy before." 

Akane nodded, frowning just a little bit. "No offense, but I   
hope we don't have to ask you to help." 

"I understand, child, and agree completely." 

Goku interrupted their conversation when he called out to the   
assembled group. "Vejiita's going to end the fight, now!" Everyone   
turned their attention directly on to the two fighters. They   
watched as the two separated; Vejiita powering up for his final   
attack, and Ranma just barely hanging in the air. 

"Big Bang Attack!" 

Vejiita launched the massive blast at Ranma, who just barely   
was able to move. He brought up his arms to give some semblance of   
a block, but it was all for nothing. The attack hit head on, and   
Ranma came plummeting to the ground. 

Akane ran over to where Ranma landed, face-up in the ground.   
She pulled the fried girl into her lap, and stroked the singed hair   
from his face. "Ranma, are you okay?" 

He grunted and opened one swollen eye slightly. "I'm fine,   
Akane." He grunted again and closed it. "You know nothin' keeps me   
down for long." 

Akane sighed and nodded. "Baka. Just shut up and rest." 

Ranma opened his eyes and looked into Akane's worried ones. "Don't   
worry, Seiika-chan. I'll be okay." He grinned slightly at the girl   
above him and winced, for that hurt as well. 

Akane sniffled a bit and nodded. Ranma reached up despite   
the pain and wiped away a stray tear. "I love you, Akane." 

Akane whispered, choked up. "I love you too, Ranma." She   
sniffled once more and smiled, leaning down to capture the redhead's   
lips with her own. The others, who had gathered to see if Ranma   
was okay, smiled at the scene and backed away to give them some   
privacy. 

Akane released Ranma and bit him on the nose gently. Ranma   
winced at the contact. "Can you get up?" 

Ranma attempted sitting up, but didn't get far. "I don't think   
so. Not yet, at least." 

Vejiita came over to the two and handed Akane a small brown   
object. "Give it to Serori. Eat it." 

Akane looked at it, examining the small bean in her hand.   
"What does it do?" She handed Ranma the bean. He took it, and   
shrugging his shoulders, placed it in his mouth and chewed. 

Bulma came over and explained. "It's called a senzu bean. It   
restores you back to perfect health. Eat it, you'll feel immensely   
better right away." 

Ranma sat up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. "Sugoi! I do   
feel tons better!" 

Bulma turned to Vejiita, smiling. She placed a hand on his   
arm, squeezing it lightly. "That was actually nice of you, Vejiita!" He   
grunted and turned his head away. Although, he did not make a move   
to remove Bulma's hand from his arm. 

Nodoka came over to the small group, handing Akane Genma's   
gi top and Ranma a kettle of hot water. They both nodded their   
thanks and applied each item. The Z-senshi watched in amazement   
as Ranma grew and filled out into his original male form. He blushed   
slightly under all of the scrutiny and turned to Akane. "Ready to go   
home?" 

Akane nodded and adjusted the top. "Definitely. I can't wait   
to wear my own clothes again." 

Goku looked up, startled. "Aren't you coming back with us?" 

Ranma scratched his head. "Why would we? We live in   
Nerima, remember?"   
"But I thought..." Goku turned to Vejiita. "Didn't you ask him,   
Vejiita?" 

"I shouldn't have to ask anyone, anything, Kakarotto." He   
crossed his arms. 

"Ask me what?" Ranma was thoroughly confused. 

"Well, since Vejiita won't ask, I will, then." Goku smiled   
brightly. "Serori-kun, do you want to be trained by me and Vejiita?" 

Ranma blinked a few times, and a slow smile spread across his   
features. He glanced at Vejiita, who just ignored the look. "Well,   
sure, but you all live so far away..." 

Bulma snorted. "As if you'd be able to go home in one piece   
after a training 'session' with Goku and Vejiita." She smiled. "Why   
don't you come live at Capsule Corp? I have plenty of room! That   
way, Seiika and Vejiita can be back together again, as well!" She   
clapped in excitement. "Why didn't I think of this right away?   
Bulma-chan, you're slipping!" She giggled to herself, increasing the   
strength of her grip on Vejiita's arm in her excitement. 

Vejiita snorted out loud. "Onna, you get excited way too   
easily. Let go of my arm before you cut off the circulation   
completely." Bulma giggled again, but let go. Vejiita smirked at her   
and turned to Akane and Ranma. "For once, the Onna has a good   
idea." He spoke a little softer. "I wouldn't mind having you there,   
Seiika." He looked at Ranma out of the corner of his slanted eyes.   
"I guess you can come too, Serori." 

"Gee, thanks, Vejiita-ouji. You sure make a guy feel wanted."   
Ranma drawled sarcastically. Vejiita just scowled. Ranma snorted   
and scowled back.   
  
Akane smiled at the two males. "I guess we accept your   
offer, Bulma-san." 

Bulma crossed her arms and smirked in a Saiya-jiin manner.   
"I wasn't going to accept no for an answer, anyway. It'll be nice to   
have another female around to help balance Vejiita's nasty temper."   
The male in question growled slightly. 

Ranma laughed out loud. "Control his temper? Ha! Who's   
gonna control Akane's?" Akane started to growl in unison with her   
brother. 

"Ranma..." 

Ranma ignored her, or at least acted like he didn't hear her.   
"And don't even think of getting her in the kitchen. She'll demolish   
it with just a look!" 

"No..." Akane was glowing bright blue. Her tail was whipping   
back and forth menacingly. 

Ranma was on a roll now. He couldn't be stopped. The others   
around him noticed Akane's anger and stepped back. "And just wait   
until you taste what she makes! You won't have to worry about   
fightin' no enemy...just feed them some of Akane's crappy cooking,   
and they'll be wiped off the face of the planet!" 

"BAKA!" Akane exploded in anger and reached behind her and   
pulled out her mallet. She wound up with a roar, and knocked him   
into the next week. Everyone stared at the mallet-propelled   
Saiya-jiin. Drifted back on the wind was the final insult: 

"Kawaiikunee otembaaaa..." 

Akane screamed in rage. Her aura exploded and the sky   
flashed brightly. She roared out Ranma's name again, and to   
everyone's astonishment, especially the Saiya-jiin present, Akane's   
hair stood on end. It grew slightly longer and had turned a   
white-gold, her eyes aquamarine, and a corona of yellow surrounded   
her. She shot into the air and with her mallet extended, flew at   
supersonic speeds after Ranma to pound him into micro-molecules. 

Vejiita, Gohan, and Goku blinked, and turned to each other in   
unison. "Did she just do what I think she just did?" Gohan asked,   
amazed. 

Goku nodded energetically. "She did! She went Super   
Saiya-jiin! Sugoi! Now I have someone to spar with!" 

Vejiita whapped Goku alongside the head and shouted angrily   
in his face. "Baka! That's my sister you're talking about! You will   
not harm one hair on her head, Golden or not." He turned to the   
distance. "Maybe she was right. Maybe I'm not the Prophetized   
One, after all..." 

Goku laid a hand on his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.   
"Don't talk that way, Vejiita. She just got the extra boost when she   
got mad at Serori-kun, and from the fight earlier with that girl." 

Soun frowned at the fading yellow light that was his   
daughter. "Akane-chan always had a lot of anger within her,   
especially after Kikuko-chan died. That's one of the reasons that I   
started to teach her the Art, so she could have an outlet for the   
anger, and a way of controlling it." 

Kasumi nodded and laid a comforting hand upon her father'   
shoulder. "You did the best you could, Otousan." 

"You also didn't stand a chance of controlling it." All eyes   
turned to the Prince, who was still staring off into the distance.   
"She always had a temper, and it was much worse than mine. Her   
power level would skyrocket when she was angry at someone, and she   
usually took it out on some hapless third-class senshi. I was on the   
receiving end of her tantrums several times." He smiled at the   
memory. "And those sparring sessions always required time in a   
regeneration tank afterwards. Friezer saw her untapped potential   
and wanted to use it within his armies. That was the reason she and   
Serori were sent away from Vejiita-sei." 

"Why Ranma, too?" Nodoka asked gently. 

Vejiita glanced over his shoulder at the Chikyuu native that   
raised Serori. "He was her Honor Guard, and her mate. Where she   
went, he went." 

Bulma nodded. "Like Nappa to you?" Vejiita grunted his   
agreement. 

Gohan frowned, thinking out loud. "So why did you go with   
Friezer, Vejiita-san?" 

The Dark Prince scowled. "Baka. I didn't want to go with   
Friezer. I was forced to. I went in exchange of Seiika, and the   
safety of all Saiya-jiin." He snorted loudly. "Much good it did,   
anyway." 

"What do you mean, Vejiita-san?" Gohan asked again. 

Vejiita was becoming uncomfortable with all of the questions.   
He turned away from the group slightly. "Friezer said that if I went   
into his services, the Saiya-jiin, and Vejiita-sei, would be under his   
protection." 

Vejiita snorted, shaking his head and glancing over at Goku   
slightly before directing his attention back to the skyline. "He was   
afraid of the uprising of the Legendary Super Saiya-jiin. He heard   
the prophecies surrounding Seiika and mine's birth, and wanted to   
have control over us if they should prove true." 

Gohan smiled, hugging his father's leg. "And 'Tousan gave him   
a reason to be afraid of a Super Saiya-jiin, right, 'Tousan?" He   
smiled up into his father's face. 

Goku ruffled Gohan's hair. "Sure did, Gohan." He glanced up   
at Vejiita, who was giving him a glare. 

Both Vejiita and Goku looked out into the distance for several   
long moments. They turned back to the rest of the group, who was   
still staring out into the horizon. Goku shuddered a bit. "Remind me   
never to get Seiika-oujo mad at me." The Nerimians chuckled to   
themselves. 

Kasumi cast a worried look in Akane and Ranma's direction. "I   
hope Akane-chan's okay. I wouldn't want to her catch a cold in the   
night air." 

Bulma and ChiChi blinked at the concerned Kasumi. "Aren't   
you worried about Serori-kun? He's getting walloped by Seiika." 

Ukyou reassured them with a wave. "Oh, Ranchan has   
received worse beatings from Akane before. He recovers quickly   
enough." She saw the doubting looks on their faces remained.   
"Akane has a hair-trigger temper. As quickly as it arrives, it leaves,   
once she's done pulverizing Ranma, that is." The others around her   
nodded in agreement. 

Nodoka turned to Bulma. "Well, Bulma-san, I believe we had   
better get going. Akane aimed Ranma for home, so they should be   
there soon, if not already." 

Bulma nodded and turned to the others. "Anyone want to   
come along?" 

ChiChi shook her head. "Gohan and I are heading for home."   
She gave him a stern look when he started to whine. "You still have   
to read three chapters tonight, Gohan-chan, and take a bath." 

Gohan hung his head. "Okay, 'Kaasan." He waved at everyone   
and shot up in the air towards home, and his waiting homework. 

ChiChi looked at her mate and raised an eyebrow. "Well,   
Goku-saa? Coming home?" Her voice and actions left no room for   
argument. 

He meekly looked at her and nodded. "Hai, ChiChi." He waved   
at everyone and picked his mate up in his arms. ChiChi wrapped her   
arms around his neck tightly. "Wanna spar tomorrow, Vejiita?" He   
started to float in the air. 

Vejiita nodded curtly. Goku smiled at everyone again.   
"Sayonara, minna!" He then turned around and holding onto ChiChi   
tightly, shot after Gohan, becoming a small speck of blue in the   
distance. 

Bulma turned to everyone left. "Ready, everyone?" They all   
nodded, and jumped or leapt into the plane. Bulma turned to Vejiita,   
who picked her up gently and flew her up into the cockpit. "Are you   
coming with us, Vejiita-chan?" she asked him, brushing his stiff hair   
out of her eyes. 

He shook his head. "No, Onna. I'll go back home." He   
blushed a bit. "I need to prepare for the Ceremony tonight." 

Bulma smiled and nodded. "All right. Do I need to do   
anything?" 

He shook his head. "No. I'll have everything ready. I'll also   
tell your mother to prepare a suite for Serori and Seiika." 

She nodded. "Good idea, Vejiita-chan." She kissed his cheek   
and stepped back. "I gotta got these people to their home. I'll see   
you at home, okay?" He nodded and floated backwards. She smiled   
and waved as she started the engines and took off, headed towards   
Nerima. 

Vejiita sighed, and watched the horizon for a moment. A bright flash of   
yellow alerted his senses. Vejiita widened his eyes and smirked evilly to himself.   
He didn't have to guess what that flash represented. He spoke aloud and to no one   
in particular. "Well, Seiika-chan, you finished it, at last." He floated higher in the   
air and bowed slightly in her direction. "Congratulations to you and Serori." He   
shook his head and sighed. He turned towards Capsule Corp, and prepared for the   
scariest night of his life. 


	9. CeremoniesLEMON

A Tail To Remember   
Chapter Eight: Ceremonies   
************** 

~In the Air~ 

Ranma sailed in his arc, trying to right himself so he didn't   
land on his head, or worse yet, his tail. He finally touched down, on   
his feet, thank goodness, and noticed he landed on the outskirts of   
Nerima. "Boy, Akane really has an arm on her. I think this is the   
farthest she's ever sent me flyin'!" 

"Do you want to go for another try, Ranma-baka?" Ranma   
spun around and was confronted with the Super Saiya-jiin Akane;   
huffing and puffing from her anger, wielding her mallet as a baseball   
bat. "Because I'm ready for another try up at bat!" 

Ranma widened his eyes and started to back away slowly,   
waving his hands in front of himself. "Hey, Akane-chan, you know I   
was just teasin' you! I do that all the time. Now, put the mallet   
back from where you found it, and we'll go home and get some real   
clean clothes on, alright?" Ranma suddenly stopped, for he had   
backed up against a wall. 

Akane kept coming closer, an unnatural light glinting in her   
sea-green eyes. She smirked evilly. "Oh, I don't think we need   
those clothes right now, Serori-chan." Akane reached out with one   
hand and pulled the tie to her ill-fitting gi top loose. With her other   
hand, she put her mallet back in sub-space. She reached for Ranma   
and pulled him close. "You know, Ranma, I remember what we were   
about to do when we were in Oozaru form." 

Ranma scrunched his face up, trying to remember. His eyes   
widened suddenly. He glanced at her, interest and something else   
shone in his eyes. "You...do?" 

She nodded, eyes closed slightly. She wrapped her   
yellow-furred tail around his upper thigh, gently applying pressure.   
His dark-brown one snaked out and captured Akane around her   
waist, bringing her closer. "I do, Ranma. And I was very   
disappointed that we didn't get to finish what we started..." With   
that, she started to kiss his bare chest, nipping and licking a path all   
the way up to his shoulders, and the Mark she created in Oozaru   
form. It had healed over, thanks to the switch back and the senzu   
bean. But a faint outline still remained where her gigantic canines   
broke the skin. Akane breathed on the Mark and the area around it,   
barely flicking her tongue across the surface of his skin. 

Ranma groaned in her ear. The delicious sensations she was   
creating were wreaking havoc on his already weakened control. He   
suddenly cried out in surprise, more so than pain, when she, with no   
warning, broke open the skin again. She swirled her tongue around   
the bite area, causing Ranma to growl deep in his throat and tighten   
his grip on her. Akane suckled on the wound, cleaning up the spilled   
blood that ran down his neck and shoulders and pooled in his blades.   
She nipped her way back up his sinewy neck and played with his ear,   
tickling the fine hairs that rested there. Ranma let a shiver run up   
and down his spine as thousands of electric tingles shocked his   
nervous system. 

Akane traced his sides and stomach with roving fingers. She   
reached behind Ranma and rubbed his back, running her fingers over   
the thickly corded muscles that twitched excitedly when her fingers   
passed over them. Her hands found the base of his tail, and gently   
massaged around it, making a complete revolution around the base.   
She pinched the base, and digging her nails in, ran her fingers up and   
down its furry length. 

Ranma spasmed; the sensations sweeping across his synapses   
in his spine overran his control and squashed it like a tiny bug.   
Ranma growled at Akane and started to ravish her neck with   
reckless abandon. He found the Mark he had made on her and   
reopened it as well with a savage nip. He drank up her blood and   
moved to her mouth, wanting to taste the inside of that, as well. His   
hands roamed over her body freely, touching and teasing certain   
areas with the lightest of feather-touches. They drifted around   
her shoulders and he pushed off the gi top with careless flick of the   
wrist. She stood there, in her naked glory, with only a smile and a   
yellow glow to cover herself. 

Akane backed up a bit, letting him get a better view of her.   
She smirked at him, enjoying his reaction to her. "Kawaiikune   
otemba? I think not." Her fingers lightly ran across her skin, giving   
Ranma a delicious path to follow. 

He devoured her figure greedily. "No, you never were.   
You're my Kiiro Himawari--my Yellow Sunflower." 

Akane's eyes softened. "That's sweet, Ranma-chan." They   
met for a tender kiss. When they pulled away, Akane's eyes turned   
lustful. "Your sunflower needs some sun in order to grow, Ranma.   
What are you going to do about it?" 

He smirked. "Well, I'll just have to shoo away the clouds." 

He reached down and pulled off the blanket that he had wrapped   
around his waist several times. Akane returned Ranma's smirk and   
crushed herself to Ranma, molding her body against his. "Is it sunny   
enough for you, Hima-chan?" 

She nodded, rubbing her body up alongside his, eliciting   
several growls from his throat. "Your flower is in full bloom, ready   
to be picked." They both started to float off the ground and fly   
high in the air, above the street and into the thick clouds that   
enveloped the pair with their fluffiness. 

Ranma shifted slightly and brought Akane's legs up around his   
waist. He nuzzled her neck, biting her ear as he spoke. "I guess I'll   
have to gather my share of the bounty, then." With that, he thrust   
into her, not stopping until he was fully penetrated. 

Akane cried out in pleasure. There was no pain, only a   
blinding flash of esctasy. Years of rigourous training had taken   
away any obstacles. For the first time, though, each felt whole;   
complete. After been denied the end, the wait for supreme   
completeness, the halves had finally merged to become one. 

They sat there for a minute, just basking in the pleasure of   
being together, feeling each other in the most intimate of embraces.   
Ranma let out a small moan and started to thrust his hips slow and   
even, gradually increasing his speed to match her intensifying need. 

Akane cried out in estcasy, her aura growing stronger and   
brighter with each of Ranma's thrusts. She entangled her hands in   
his hair, undoing his already mussed pigtail and causing his hair to   
explode into several wild tufts that all seemed to point off to one   
side. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tighter   
to him, his fingers flexing across the muscles of her back in rhythm   
with their lovemaking. His aura brightened and pulsed in time with   
hers. 

With a final thrust, and a keening cry from both, Ranma and   
Akane; Serori and Seiika, sealed their Bond for eternity, and   
became one in their heart, mind, body, and soul. They climaxed,   
howling each other's name and with a final blinding flash of their   
auras, Ranma released his seed into Akane. 

They panted, leaning on each other, sweat glistening in the   
night air. No words were needed, for the completed Union opened a   
Link between their minds. Akane rested her forehead against her   
mate's as a soft red light surrounded them both. Ranma leaned   
forward and gently bit Akane's nose, holding it in-between his teeth.   
Akane responded to the kiss by grasping his chin with her own. 

After a moment in basking in afterglow, Akane broke the   
silence. "I suppose we'd better go home. The others are probably   
there already, and wondering where we are." Akane released   
Ranma's chin and lightly kissed the corner of his mouth, burying her   
hands deeper within his tangled mane of hair. 

"Who cares. We're big kids, now. We can stay out after   
dark." He grinned and nuzzled her ear, growling softly under his   
breath. 

"You animal...not satiated yet?" She purred seductively,   
intertwining her now brown tail around his own. He shook his head   
and kissing her mouth, began to re-establish a rhythm, faster and   
harder than before. Akane matched his thrusts, and soon both   
reached and cried out their climax again, their aura exploding on   
release. 

They occupied each other for several hours, basking in each   
other's presence, and in the Link their Union created, in many, many   
ways. 

Finally, after feeling satisfied enough within each other's   
embrace, Ranma pulled out of Akane for the last time and wrapped   
her tight within his strong arms, feeling her heartbeat settle slowly   
to match his own once again. They floated down together to where   
their 'clothes' lie, and dressed each other, save a few kisses and   
caresses interrupting the process. The two mated Saiya-jiin blasted   
off toward home, to end a life there, and start a new life in another   
place. 

******* 

~Capsule Corp~ 

Bulma landed the jet and once she climbed out, encapsulated   
it with a push of a button. She put it back in storage and walked   
inside the living headquarters of one of the largest corporations in   
Japan. When she entered the main living area, she was greeted by   
the sight of her mother in a stunning green-sequined evening gown,   
primping herself in front of a mirror on the wall. 

"Konban wa, 'Kaasan. Where are you going all dressed up?" 

"Konban wa, Bulma-chan." Mini Briefs greeted her daughter.   
"Your 'Tousan and I have a banquet to go to in Tokyo. Some inventor   
friends of his that always get together." She shrugged. "Don't wait   
up; we're staying overnight." 

Bulma smiled at her mother. "I just got back from Tokyo.   
Have fun, 'Kaasan. Don't drink too much." She paused and asked   
off-handedly. "Did Vejiita talk to you, yet?" 

Mini rolled her eyes. "Yes, dear. Vejiita-san did 'tell' me that   
his sister and her 'mate' are going to be staying with us for awhile. I   
had the bots prepare the large suite on the West wing." Mini smiled   
at Bulma and winked. "He seemed rather nervous when he was   
talking to me. Would you know why, dear?" 

Bulma nervously laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "Why   
would I know that? It's not like he talks to me, or anything." She   
blushed a bit, embarrassed by her behavior and her mother's   
question. 

Mini just smiled knowingly at her daughter's discomfort.   
"Don't worry, dear. Everything will turn out all right in the end." Dr.   
Briefs walked into the room, indicated he was ready, and walked   
outside. Mini patted her daughter's hand and picked up her purse,   
readying to leave for the night. 

"Ano...do you know in which direction Vejiita was headed?"   
Bulma asked casually, trying not to sound nervous herself. 

Mini shook her head. "No, I don't, Bulma-chan. I saw him   
head towards the East wing earlier, but he could be anywhere, now." 

Bulma nodded her thanks. "Good night, 'Kaasan. Have fun."   
She turned toward the East wing, where her bedroom suite was   
located, but stopped when her mother called out to her. 

"Bulma-chan, matte!" 

She turned around to face her mother, who had stopped in   
the door frame. "Nani?" 

"Your 'Tousan and I just wanted to let you know that we   
approve of your choice. He's a real hottie!" She winked at her, blew   
a kiss, and continued out the door. "Have fun tonight, dear!" 

Bulma's eyes were wide as she stared at the closed door her   
mother walked out. She blinked several times before she shook her   
head in wonder. She would never understand her mother. Never. 

Bulma continued down the stretching hallways, making her   
way to her suite of rooms. She walked into the burgundy and   
hunter-green decorated suite of rooms and turned on the lights.   
She called out to Vejiita, but received no answer. She shrugged and   
moved into the bedroom. Here, she was greeted with a slight   
surprise. On the table next to her dresser rested a small vial and an   
envelope with her name on it. On top of the envelope was a red rose,   
still in bud form. 

She smiled slightly to herself and picked up the rose, smelling   
the sweet aroma. She found a crystal vase and placed the rosebud   
within, and rested it on her dresser. She picked up the envelope and   
opened it, to find a slip of paper with one line of roughly scratched   
script upon it. 

_ ~~Onna--Take this and use it.~~_

Bulma fingered the small bottle and opened the stopper. She   
smelled it and was pleasantly surprised. "How did he get a hold of   
bath oils? I don't think I've ever smelled something so..." She   
smiled inwardly and shook her head, walking into the bathroom. 

Here, she was surprised again. The furo was already   
prepared and filled with steaming water. On a small table next to   
the tub rested a plate of fruit and a glass of champagne. Next to   
the glass was another red rose, slightly more open than the one   
before. She plucked a few grapes and popped them in her mouth.   
"Mmmm...those hit the spot." She quickly got undressed and tossed   
her clothes into the hamper. She sat down on a stool, and scrubbed   
and rinsed her body and her hair with cold water, preparing herself   
for the steaming bathwater that awaited her. 

She poured the vial of oil into the bath, and swirled the   
water around to create the foaming bubbles. Bulma giggled a little,   
remembering her last bubble bath was when she was about seven   
years old. She slowly sank into the frothy water, feeling the hot   
water seep into her muscles and work out the kinks and knots the   
long day created. She reached for her champagne glass and fruit   
and gleefully indulged herself; she deserved this. Bulma closed her   
eyes and sank deeper into the water, letting the bubbles of the   
water and the champagne pop away her worries. 

After a half an hour or so of luxuriantly floating in the water,   
she reluctantly climbed out of the still-steaming furo and dried her   
body off with a big fluffy towel that rested on the vanity. She   
donned her robe, and picking up the rose, walked into the bedroom   
feeling very comfortable and relaxed, skin radiating from the heat   
and the oils Vejiita gave her to use. 

In there, she was greeted again by another rose, this one   
almost full bloom, and a note on the bed. She ruffled her hair,   
which was wrapped in a towel and frowned. "These weren't here   
before. Vejiita? Are you in here?" No one answered her query.   
She opened the note, once again in a dark, scribbled hand: 

_ ~~Onna--wear this~~___

She picked up the silk dress that was folded neatly on the   
bed. She held it up to herself and shook her head in wonder. She   
pulled it over her head and zipped it up. The dark purple silk fell in   
smooth folds around her petite frame, accentuating her soft curves   
in all the right places. A even darker purple rosette pattern floated   
throughout the material. The dress itself was sleeveless, with thin   
spaghetti straps; ankle-length, with a slit on each side that rose to   
dizzying heights. The hint of cleavage gave just a tantalizing peek   
of what was hidden underneath. All in all, it was a gorgeous dress,   
and Bulma smirked ruefully; it showed that the gruff Saiya-jiin   
Prince had impeccable taste. 

Speaking of the Prince, as Bulma placed the two new roses   
into the vase on her dresser, she glanced into the mirror and   
discovered him standing on her balcony, staring at her with a look of   
rare awe on his face. She turned around to take in his own image,   
face to face. 

He looked devastatingly handsome. He wore a skin-tight   
black bodysuit with gleaming white armour that winked at her in the   
moonlight. A thick, black velvet cape with dark purple lining billowed   
out behind him, waving gently along with his tail in the warm breeze.   
A circle of gold curved around his forehead, the dark red stone   
nestled at the point of his widow's peak. His Saiya-jiin pendant   
gleamed on his chest, and in his gloved hand, another deep red rose,   
this one in full bloom. 

Vejiita and Bulma stared at each other, silenced by each   
other's presence. Bulma was the first to break the trance. She   
inclined her head and gave a small nod of greeting. "Hi." 

Vejiita blinked and blushed, but recovered quickly, forming a   
neutral scowl. He nodded and stepped inside the room. "Onna.   
You...you aren't as ugly as you usually look, tonight." 

Bulma blushed, recognizing the compliment. "You're not that   
bad-looking yourself, Otoko." 

Vejiita handed her the rose, and Bulma placed it with the   
three others she received earlier. "Arigato." 

He grunted in reply and studied her for a moment. "Are you   
ready?" He asked quietly. 

She nodded, and reaching for her hand, he pulled her out into   
the night and onto the balcony. The almost-full moon shone down   
softly in the almost-clear sky. He continued to hold her hand as he   
stared into the night sky. She was startled when he began to speak,   
his smooth baritone voice sending chills down her spine. "On   
Vejiita-sei, this ceremony is usually held in front of the entire   
population, followed by a feast and a match between the best senshi.   
Seiika and Serori performed theirs during the Royal Honor Guard   
Ceremonies. They weren't supposed to do it then, and it was highly   
unexpected." 

He pointed to a spot in the southern half of the sky. "That   
spot right there is where Vejiita-sei would be, if it still existed   
today. The after-image will fade in several years, but I know it is   
gone. It created the point in the constellation, Ya Senshi, or Arrow   
of the Warrior." He traced the stars out for her. 

He turned to look in her eyes. "Me, Seiika, Serori, Kakarotto   
and his brat are all that is left of my race, my people. There might   
be more out there; I don't know who was off-planet at the time   
Friezer blew it up, and if any others are alive." A look of disgust   
flashed across his face. 

The look of disgust changed into a frown, and he took a deep   
breath and continued. "Saiya-jiin don't put much faith in many   
things; only our pride and our fighting abilities ring true and can be   
counted upon in time of battle. We don't have any ruling deities, or   
sacred traditions, except for First Rites and the Mating Ceremony."   
Bulma opened her mouth to speak, but Vejiita halted her with a   
gloved finger on her lips. 

"Hush, Onna. Let me speak. I may never be this open again."   
She nodded and he moved his finger to her cheek, caressing it as he   
spoke. "I understand that the Humans on Chikyuu have many   
ceremonies, and gods, and rites. You will have to remember, often,   
that I am not human, Onna, and never will be. Knowing your temper,"   
he smirked as she scowled, "you will forget this." He moved his hand   
to her slightly damp hair and brushed a few stray strands back.   
"The Link we will create with the Bonding will be all-encompassing.   
You will feel my emotions, and I, yours. We will be able to sense   
each other's pain," he paused, blinked, as if remembering something   
for the first time. His lip curled slightly, a hint of a sardonic grin   
exposed. "And each other's joy." 

His face turned serious and he held both of her hands within   
his own. "Do you wish to continue with the ceremony, knowing what   
you do of me, my race, and my history? Because, once the Bond   
forms, it cannot be broken, or bent, or twisted in any way. We will   
be Mated for Eternity, our souls fused. Do you accept the Bond,   
Bulma?" 

Her face serious, she spoke. "I accept the Bond, Vejiita. I   
accept you, for you." She smiled and winked. "Pride and all." He   
scowled, but said nothing. "I understand you are not human, but   
Saiya-jiin, and will try to remember that in the future when my   
patience has been worn rice-paper thin." 

She reached out and touched his cheek, tracing his high   
cheekbone structure with a finger. "I will also try and remember   
that, being an endangered species," she smirked and moved her   
hand to glance over his high forehead and scowl lines. "That the   
need to repopulate the species will fall to me." Vejiita's eyes   
widened with the implication. He hadn't thought that far ahead, yet.   
She continued, unaware of his thoughts. "I will love the children we   
create together, for they will be made from the love of our souls.   
They will be raised to know both their heritage's, human and   
Saiya-jiin." She dropped her hands to enclose his once more.   
"Do you accept me, Vejiita? Do you accept that I am human,   
and not Saiya-jiin? Will you remember that and treat me with the   
respect that I deserve? Do you accept my love?" 

He locked eyes with her. Within her calm lake-blue waters he   
saw trust, love, and a slight hint of fear. Did she fear him? Or did   
she fear his rejection? He nodded once. "I accept you, Bulma. I   
realize you are human, and will always be human. I will," he paused,   
thinking, but continued on. "I will honor our offspring as I honor   
you. I accept your...love, Bulma. Will you accept my attempt?" 

She smiled wide and nodded. Vejiita curled up one side of his   
mouth in a small attempt to smile. He released her hands and   
stepped back a pace. 

He spoke, eyes interlocked with hers, black boring into blue.   
"Your heart is mine, for mine." He raised his left hand and turned   
the palm face down. 

"My heart is yours, for yours." Bulma placed her right hand   
under his, palm up, leaving a few inches of room in between them. 

"Your mind is mine, for mine." A glow began to surround   
them. 

"My mind is yours, for yours." 

"Your body is mine, for mine." The light pulsed, growing   
increasingly brighter and stronger. Their eyes never left the other. 

"My body is yours, for yours." 

"Your soul is mine, for mine." 

"My soul is yours, for yours." The light exploded brightly and   
settled between their outstretched hands. 

They both spoke at the same time. "We are one: heart,   
mind, body, soul. To be apart is being halved; together, we are   
complete. Eternal and unchanging. Nothing will sever the Bond."   
With the last word, they brought their hands together with a loud   
clap and the light disappeared. They pressed their hands on each   
other's chest and the light flared again, sealing the Bond and ending   
the Ceremony. 

The wind gently rustled their clothes and slightly mussed   
their hair. The moon shone down on Vejiita and Bulma, who just kept   
their eyes locked on each other. 

Bulma was the first to break contact. She closed her eyes   
and took a deep breath. "That...that was incredible. I could feel our   
souls merging!" She opened her eyes and smiled at her mate. "I   
could feel your love for me." She closed her eyes again,   
concentrating deep inside. "I can feel you, Vejiita." 

Vejiita grunted and stepped close to her, wrapping his arms   
around her and burying his face in her neck. "I prefer to touch, in   
order to feel, Onna." 

Bulma wrapped her arms around his chest and murmured her   
agreement. "I like it this way, too." She jumped a little as she felt   
his tail snake through the slit on her dress and wrap around her calf.   
"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." She giggled as he moved it   
higher up her leg. "Ooh! It tickles!" 

Vejiita grunted and turned his head slightly to nibble behind   
her ear. Bulma purred quietly, and pressed her body closer to him,   
encouraging him to continue. He complied, moving his hands up her   
back, fingering the zipper that kept the dress closed. He unzipped   
it, and stepped back to let the dress fall off her shoulders and pool   
at her feet. 

He took in the vision that was revealed to him. Soft   
moonlight outlined the gentle curves that made up his mate. Bulma   
blushed heavily under his gaze, but kept still, her head held high. 

"Onna, you are..." and for the first time that he could   
remember, he was speechless. He shook his head and smirked. "You   
take my breath away, Bulma." 

Her blush deepened and she moved closer to him. "I know,   
Vejiita-chan." She clasped her hands around his face and pulled him   
in for a kiss. Soft at first, but it quickly became stronger, and more   
demanding. They each pulled away, breathless. Vejiita grunted once   
again and smirked. 

He bent slightly and gathered Bulma up in his arms. He   
turned toward the bedroom and entered, laying Bulma on the bed   
gently. He quickly removed his amour and bodysuit, until all that   
remained was his pendant and the circle of gold in his hair. 

Bulma blushed as she watched him undress. She had always   
liked muscular men; it was one of the reasons she fell for Yamucha,   
but the male in front of her made Yamucha look like a scarecrow.   
Her eyes roamed greedily across his chest, arms, and legs as she   
watched the muscles upon muscles slide, no flow, from one position   
to next as he strode to the bed. "You aren't the only one whose   
breath was stolen, Otoko." 

He sat on the edge of the bed, Bulma sitting up to be level   
with him. He leaned forward and bit her on the nose, closing his   
eyes. She responded and encased his chin. "My mate, my Onna; my   
soul is sealed within yours. You hold complete control of the   
Saiya-jiin no Ouji." He moved his mouth to her ear and ran his   
tongue across the lobe. "How in the hell did that happen?" 

"My Otoko, my mate, you hold the same ties over me." She   
breathed in his neck, nibbling on the tendons that pulsed full of life   
there. 

Bulma surprised Vejiita, and herself slightly, when she bit   
down and reopened the Mark she gave him last night. He growled   
deep in his throat and gripped her tighter, taking pleasure as her   
tongue cleaned the wound of his lifeblood. He returned the favor   
when he bit down on her neck. 

Her eyes rolling back in her head, Bulma sounded a cry of   
pleasure as his tongue brought forth sensations that electrified her   
entire nervous system. She rubbed against him and purred into his   
ear. "Vejiita-chan, I can't wait any longer..." 

"Soon, Onna-chan, soon." He pushed her down, so she lay on   
the bed. He nipped her nose again and slowly made his way down her   
neck to her chest. He swirled his tongue around her hardening   
nipple and suckled on the tip like a newborn babe. He grasped it   
between his teeth and bit. 

Bulma shrieked and gripped Vejiita's hair in her hands,   
intertwining her fingers in the thick strands. Her back arched and   
she crushed his head to her chest, reveling in the sensations he was   
creating in her. 

He moved his attention to its twin and repeated the process.   
Bulma writhed under him, estcasy flowing through her veins. Vejiita   
moved lower, dragging his canines across her taut stomach, flicking   
his tongue across her navel before delving in. 

Bulma just tossed her head back and forth, nonsense sounds   
forming on her lips. Her body was responding to Vejiita in ways she   
never thought could happen. Breathing became more difficult as she   
struggled to keep her emotions at a somewhat manageable level. 

Vejiita, himself, could feel his control slipping away. The   
scent that Bulma radiated slammed his senses silly, making his head   
cloudy from the unadulterated passions. It didn't help things,   
either, that their Link was near completion, and he could feel her   
reaction to his foreplay, which in turn increased his own. He moved   
lower and brushed his lips over her nether region. 

Bulma's hips bucked as shockwave after shockwave assaulted   
her senses. She cried out, sweat pouring off her body. Vejiita bent   
his head lower and inhaled her aroused state deeply. He kissed her   
inner thigh, feeling her tremble and shake with each brush of his   
lips and tongue. He looked up into her flushed face, her blue eyes   
wild with the storm of passion he created in her. "Are you ready,   
Bulma?" 

She nodded her head violently. "Oh Kami, yes!" 

Vejiita smirked and positioned himself over her, wrapping an   
arm around her waist and the other around her head. He lifted her   
and they began to float a few feet above the bed, suspended in the   
air. Vejiita's aura started to become bright as he began to ravish   
her neck once again. 

Bulma groaned and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.   
"Oh, gods, Vejiita. Before I explode..." 

He grunted in her neck and with a swift thrust, entered her   
and broke her barrier. Bulma cried out in pain, and a few tears   
dripped down her cheeks. 

Vejiita cleaned each of them off with a flick of his tongue,   
and waited until they stopped. "You were untouched?" His voice   
held a note of surprise. 

Her eyes were squezed into slits and she nodded, gripping his   
neck tighter, her nails digging into the rock-hard muscles. "I wanted   
to wait for the right one..." She let out a gasp when he shifted   
slightly. "It's okay." He grunted and slowly started to move in and   
out of her, creating a steady rhythm of long, slow, smooth strokes.   
Bulma moaned deliciously, feeling complete and whole for the first   
time in her life. Her confidence increasing with the ball of fire in   
her lions, she began to match his rhythm, coaxing him to go faster   
by wrapping her legs around his waist and moving her hips. He   
wrapped his tail around her thigh and squeezed in rhythm with his   
thrusts. 

Vejiita groaned loudly, not able to keep his pleasure silent any   
more. He couldn't believe this weak, human female was creating such   
strong emotions in him. Emotions he never before experienced or   
dreamed they existed. The control he held such tight reins over   
was easily slipping through his fingers with each sound she made and   
thrust of her hips. He fit perfectly next to her, around her, inside   
her--it was like they were made from the same mold, each only half   
of the complete magnificent product. They had finally come   
together to become one, to become whole. 

Bulma cried out, the extreme sensations blowing her mind, all   
rational thought flung into the wind. She dug her nails into his   
shoulders, deep enough to draw blood. Vejiita's aura started to   
pulse and his hair flashed blond several times, finally staying blond,   
but went unnoticed by the coupling pair. The light was blinding, and   
with a cry from both Vejiita and Bulma, they climaxed one after the   
other, Bulma falling over into the abyss first, the aura surrounding   
them exploding into whiteness, sealing their souls, and opening the   
Link between them. 

After a few more pounding thrusts, Vejiita released his seed   
into Bulma and howled out his pleasure. Bulma shook from the   
quickly catapulted second orgasm and clamped her arms around the   
male on top of her, tight enough to have suffocated any ordinary   
human male. The aura dissipated, and both panted heavily from the   
exertion, a soft red glow surrounding them for several minutes.   
Vejiita pulled out of Bulma and held her tightly in his arms, both still   
miraculously suspended in the air. He lowered themselves onto the   
bed and pulled a light sheet over their sweaty, but completely   
satisfied, bodies. 

Bulma snuggled into Vejiita's chest, still euphoric and blind   
from the Mating. She curiously probed at their Link, feeling the   
completeness, and testing the boundaries of how it existed. Always   
the scientist. She felt the emotions radiating off him in thunderous   
waves. She felt a calm peace first and foremost, with a hint of   
confusion weaved within. 

She blinked, opening her pools of blue to glance up at her   
mate, his confusion written on her face. "What's wrong,   
Vejiita-chan?" 

He opened his eyes and pointedly stared at her. He knew   
what she was talking about--he felt her probing him through the   
Link. He was doing the same. Vejiita said nothing aloud, but held his   
new mate closer, showing her through the emotions he sent through   
to her soul. 

Bulma was reeling from sensory overload. She closed her   
eyes and concentrated, trying to make sense of everything Vejiita   
had sent her as they stampeded through her mind. She felt his   
frustration, for not knowing how to express himself properly in a   
verbal sense. She felt satisfaction, and pride, for a 'job well done.'   
She picked through the anger--Friezer completely dominating his   
anger for destroying his planet and his people before he had a   
chance to rule them. She felt envy at Kakarotto for attaining the   
perfection, Super Saiya-jiin, before he did. He felt disgust at   
himself for not being the Legendary Super Saiya-jiin. She smiled at   
the next emotion, though. Confusion surrounded her; why she chose   
to be his mate after everything, and why he fell for her. Confusion   
for the entire female species, actually. *You never will figure that   
one out, Otoko. I suggest giving up now,* she spoke directly into   
his mind. 

He smirked at her, and sent another set of emotions through   
the Link. This time she was assaulted by a craving need; the need   
for her to accept him unconditionally. Hidden under everything, and   
it was there, was love. Or what she identified as his love. It was   
still in its infancy, this new emotion, but it was there. And it   
warmed Bulma thoroughly. 

She shook off the tingles that jumped up and down her spine   
and looked into the fathomless depths of his ebony eyes. She   
poured her own emotions back into him. Fear was a primary emotion;   
not fear of him, but the fear of him rejecting her, and leaving her   
when he grew tired of this planet, and of her. But the most   
overwhelming emotion was love. Pure unconditional love for him, and   
him, alone. 

Vejiita opened his eyes wide, shocked by the intensity. "Is   
that...is that your...love...for me?" He asked incredulously. 

She nodded, increasing the tsunami of love flowing between   
them. "Hai, it is. Humans have a tremendous capability for love and   
to love. That's why we have big hearts. They do more than pump   
blood through our bodies." She smiled gently and bit his chin. "I   
love you, Vejiita. With my entire heart." 

He looked at her and bit her nose, then brushing his lips   
across her forehead. "I...I have deep feelings for you, as well,   
Bulma. I don't know if it is love, for my black heart has never felt it   
before. I would not be able to identify it within myself." 

She shook her head. "Don't sell yourself short, Vejiita. You   
have the capability to love. It's just been locked away by years of   
fighting and killing, abandoned and forgotten." 

He snorted. "If you say so, Onna." 

"I do, Otoko." She sat up, looking down at him. "Within this   
muscular casing of yours lies a soft, loving, caring, heart. It has to,   
for I know. I saw it. I fell in love with it." Vejiita snorted again and   
turned his head away. 

She jabbed him in the chest. "Don't snort at me! What about   
Seiika? Don't deny me this one, Vejiita. I've seen it with my own   
eyes. You love her, and you barely know her." 

Vejiita just closed his eyes. "I...Onna, you assume way too   
much. Tomorrow will be a busy day. You should rest. There will be   
a full moon tomorrow night." 

Bulma got up and sat on Vejiita's chest, trying to snag his   
attention. "Don't change the subject on me, Otoko!" He looked at   
her with a bored expression. "I know you don't think about feelings   
or weak stuff like that. This is one thing you will have to be get   
accustomed about me right away. I do, and I tend to, use and   
express all of my emotions in a variety of ways all the time." Bulma   
crossed her arms and glared down at him. 

Vejiita, throughout her little speech, watched the said   
different emotions play across her face. When she was done, he sat   
up, knocking her down into his lap. He stared at her, nose to nose.   
"Are you finished?" 

"Hai." She glared harder and turned her cheek away from   
him. 

"All right, then." He closed the distance between them and   
nibbled on her ear. 

Bulma whirled her head around and bumped noses with the   
surprised Prince. "What do you think you're doing? We're fighting,   
here!" 

He nodded and grinned slightly. "I know. I'm showing   
another emotion for you. Isn't that what you wanted?" 

Bulma scowled and snorted. "I didn't mean lust." 

He smirked and brushed his lips across hers. "You didn't   
specify, Onna." 

She smiled and ran her fingers through his damp locks. "Oh...   
you! Whatever..." 

Vejiita smirked, knowing he won this battle, and pulled her   
down to him. "Sleep, Onna." 

She stuck her tongue out at him, but settled her head on his   
heart and her arms around his chest. He draped one arm around her   
middle and the other rested on her head, absently stroking her hair.   
Bulma pulled the arm around her waist closer and rested his   
calloused hand on her heart, letting him feel her heartbeat. 

She closed her eyes, and before she dropped off into sleep,   
mumbled to him. "Aishiteru, Vejiita-chan."   
Vejiita continued to stroke her hair until he felt her breaths   
even out and the Link go calm. He bent his head and kissed the top   
of her blue tresses. 

"Ai--Aishiteru, Bulma-chan." He closed his eyes and fell into   
blissful slumber. 

*******   



	10. The Morning After the Night Before: Par...

A Tail To Remember   
Chapter Nine: The Morning After the Night Before, part 1   
************ 

_~~The Expanse of Space, Aboard the Hachi Starship _Tokemonu~~ 

A lone bulb lit the dark entryway of the laboratory. The soft   
light drifted into the chambers, illuminating the figures that rested   
upon the tables. These Artificial Drones, assimilated and created   
only hours ago, are the result of the Hachi's experiments with ki   
abilities. As a rule, Hachi Drones have no ki to speak of. They do   
have a flatline ki, but like untrained Humans, can not access the ki   
for strategic use. This is the scene that Iris and Rose encountered   
when they entered the laboratory of Drone Poppy, the Hachi's   
leading scientist. 

Iris centered himself in front of the scientist. "Poppy, you   
said you've made progress in your research. How about a status   
report?" 

Poppy nodded. "Of course, Captain. These Drones," he   
pointed to the ones on the tables, "are the result of the endless   
experimenting we have done on ki, and ki manipulation. As you know,   
the Drones that are assimilated now have no capabilities to produce   
and use ki. But my assistants and I have been studying the ki   
abilities of several species known throughout the galaxies for their   
ki manipulation abilities." 

Rose broke in. "Have you studied the Saiya-jiin race? They   
are well-known for their high ki ratings." 

Poppy shook his head. "I regret telling you that we have not   
been able to, since there are no Saiya-jiin available to study." Rose   
frowned deeply. He couldn't say anything to the extent of choice,   
since the scientist was correct in that regard. Although there were   
several species out there that were close to the Saiya-jiin in ki   
manipulation abilities, the Tokemonu had not come across them in   
their travels. He watched as Poppy moved over to a control panel.   
Hitting a few buttons, he activated a holo-screen. "These are the   
races we have studied. The finest example we have been able to   
capture and study is a shape-shifting species. The most well-known   
member of their race is Friezer." A 3-D image of the infamous   
Ice-jiin rotated in front of the three Drones. It flashed several   
times, showing Friezer in each of his transformed states, and the   
power levels of each state. "They have four different stages, and   
each stage has a higher capability of ki, as you can see by the   
numbers." 

Iris nodded, an impatient look flashing across his features.   
"That's all fine and well, Poppy. How have you applied your research   
to the production of the Drones?" 

Poppy sighed deeply and nodded. "Right. During our   
research, we wanted to see if there was a gene that determined the   
species' ability to retain and control ki. In several of the subjects,   
we did not find any indication." 

"How did you determine this?" Rose queried, interested in all   
things scientific. 

"We de-sequenced the chromosomes. We ran the individual   
strands through several tests, seeing if the strand tested was the   
crucial strand." 

Iris nodded. "That sounds like an arduous process." 

Poppy nodded back. "It was. We went through many test   
subjects. First we had to see if the species had ki abilities to begin   
with. Once we determined the highest readings of the specimens   
available, we then extracted the genetic codes we wanted to study."   
Poppy punched up a few files and displayed the information on the   
screen. "As I said before, out of the ten subjects we extracted   
DNA from, we were unable to determine how or where eight of the   
species hold, or create ki." 

"How do you explain your loss?" Rose asked, a frown flashing   
across his features as he studied the information that scrolled past   
his multi-faceted eyes. 

Poppy shook his head, antennae bobbing. "If we knew where   
we went wrong, it would have helped our research immensely. We   
did discover that in several of the tested species, training is   
essential in the development of ki. The more the warrior trains, the   
higher the level of development and conversion into physical use." 

"That makes sense." Iris commented. "So what did you find   
in the other two species?" 

Poppy nodded, a smile curling at his thin lips. "In the species   
known as the 'Rinnae-jiin,'" an image of a large, green, wolf-creature   
rotated in 3-D, "each male has the capability of ki manipulation. The   
female does not. So we were able to localize and isolate the 'ki   
gene,' so to say, in the male chromosome. In an asexual species   
known as the 'Unnalop-jiin,'" an image of a small, round ball of dark   
purple fur appeared in 3-D, "we discovered that this species has the   
ability to siphon ki from all other species, and then use it to their   
advantage. It is slightly similar to the ki discs the Drones use now,   
but the one difference is that Unnalop-jiin's bodies use the ki they   
siphon off the other creatures for everyday functioning. You could   
say they have a parasitic nature." 

Rose gave the image of the Unnalop-jiin a disdainful snort.   
"They look like purple Tribble-jiin." 

Poppy shrugged his shoulders. "They are a distant 'cousin' of   
the most feared creature in Klingon history. They are far more   
deadly than their cousins, especially for the ones they feed from.   
We did discover that they can not siphon from their own race,   
though." 

Iris glanced at the images and turned to his lead scientist.   
"Did you isolate the gene for this ability?" Poppy nodded. "So, with   
these two useful traits, were you able to convert these capabilities   
into the nanoprobes for our use?" 

Poppy nodded again. "Yes. It took several trials, but the   
nanoprobes are able to assimilate each species they have come into   
contact with, into ki-producing Drones." 

"How much ki does a Drone produce? Or does it vary with   
each species we assimilate?" Rose questioned. 

Poppy nodded, punching up several bits of information. "You   
are correct, sir. It does vary by which species is assimilated.   
Although they may have the appearance of a regular Drone, the   
stronger the ki abilities, the stronger the Drone." He glanced at   
Iris. "There will have to be changes in how Scouting parties are   
assembled, Captain. They just can't be lumped together, anymore."   
Iris nodded in agreement. 

Poppy dropped the holo-screen and turned on the overhead   
lights. Iris and Rose got their first good look at the new version of   
Drones. They still looked like an average Hachi Drone, although   
there were some physical changes. Instead of black and white   
stripes, they were now black and green; an influence from the   
Rinnae-jiin. And on top of their head, amidst the two antennae a   
normal novice Drone is equipped with, there rested a rather large   
tuft of purple fur--the influence of the Unnalop-jiin most likely.   
There seemed to be something missing, though. Iris couldn't put a   
thought to it, though. Poppy deactivated the stasis field that   
surrounded the new breed of Drones, and began the re-animation   
process. After a few moments, the two Neo-Drones sat up, and   
awaited instructions. 

Poppy turned to his commanding officers. "Would you like a   
demonstration of their abilities?" 

Iris nodded. "And, if possible, I'd like to see them assimilate   
as well." 

Rose blinked a few times. "That's what missing. Where are   
the nanoprobe discs?" Iris nodded in agreement. 

Poppy moved over to one of the Neo-Drones. "Since the   
Drones have no need for the ki discs anymore, because they can   
produce ki themselves, the Drones now have a self-injection device,   
located on the right forearm." He held up the Drones arm. A long   
black tube rested along its length. "Extend." Poppy commanded the   
Drone. A long, thin, needle-like tubing extended from the forearm. 

Iris moved closer to examine it. It was very sleek. He   
nodded in satisfaction. "Retract. Where is the best place to inject   
the nanoprobes?" 

"It doesn't necessarily have to be the chest anymore. The   
injector works best on the fleshy part of the neck. Stomach works,   
too. The needle can not penetrate bone, though." 

Rose crossed his forearms. "With the ki discs, they had a   
way to protect themselves against attacks. Do they have anything   
now?" 

Poppy held out the Neo-Drone's forearm once again, but   
flipped it over. On the under side was a silver reflective surface.   
"Open shield." The shield unfolded itself into a circle of silver.   
"The Drones have these, now. It does not absorb ki, but reflects it.   
It is basic shielding, one on each arm and leg. Close shield" 

"Were you able to incorporate the Unnalop's ki-siphoning   
abilities? That could be very useful in battle." Iris commented. 

Poppy shook his head. "We have not figured out yet how the   
Unnalop's siphon the ki from other creatures." He shrugged his   
shoulders. "We haven't found a mouth, or stinger, or anything that   
would be useful in such a manner. They seem to be just round balls   
of fur." He added hastily. "We're still working on it, though. We   
just wanted to get the Drones the ability to use ki, first and   
foremost." 

Iris nodded, satisfied for now. "Good job, Poppy. I'm very   
pleased with the progress you and your associates have made so far.   
Can we see that demonstration now?" 

"Of course, Captain." Poppy hit turned on the intercom.   
"Mum, the Captain is ready for a demonstration. Ready the   
assimilation arena. Prepare TS 13953 and 10098 for assimilation." 

"Yes, Sir." 

He turned back to his commanding officers. "This way, sirs."   
He beckoned for the Drones to follow. 

They traveled down some passageways, until they came to a   
set of doors. Poppy punched in a code and the doors opened to   
reveal a large dirt floor. The Drone, Mum, stood waiting in the   
center of the ring. He had two creatures in a green paralysis field   
next to him. 

He gave his commanding officers a salute and turned to his   
leader. "The test subjects are ready for assimilation, Captain." 

Iris nodded. "Good. Ready whenever you are, Poppy." 

Poppy nodded. He turned to his assistant. "Release the test   
subjects, Mum. We'll let them orient themselves, and then send in   
the Drones. We want to test their fighting abilities, as well." 

Mum nodded, and released the stasis field. All four Hachi   
stepped into the shadows, so they would be unnoticed by the two in   
the center of the arena. 

Soon both creatures were conscious and aware of their   
surroundings. Iris nodded to Poppy, who remotely opened the door.   
The two Neo-Drones entered the arena silently. 

The two test subjects whirled around at the sound of the   
opening doors, auras flared and ready to battle. The Neo-Drones   
took to the air via their wings and their antennae began to glow   
green. One of the subjects, a large, woolly creature with curving   
horns sprouting from his head, fired a ki ball at the first Drone. It   
raised its forearm to deflect the blast with the shield. The Drone's   
hands began to glow yellow, as it shot off a ki ball of its own. 

The second Drone and subject, a silver-skinned creature with   
four arms, were in a battle of their own. The silver subject was   
launching attacks with each of its arms, and the Drone was avoiding   
or deflecting all the blasts. As soon as it had a chance, #2 shot off   
a volley of its own ki in retaliation. The Silver creature was able to   
deflect some, but one caught an arm and burned it to a crisp. Silver   
let out a piercing howl, which made it drop its guard, and #2   
swooped in. He released the paralyzing beam, and once Silver was   
frozen in place, extended the nanoprobe needle into Silver's neck,   
effectively assimilating the opponent. 

While #2 was finishing us the assimilation process, #1 was   
not having such an easy time. Both he and the woolly creature had   
taken damage; the woolly creature was unable to use one arm, and   
the Drone's wings were fried, and its antennae were non-existant.   
Which meant that it was not able to use the paralysis beam. The   
two combatants were locked in a ki-shooting match. 

But the tides changed when a familiar green light fell over   
the woolly creature. #2 had shed his own paralysis beam, and #1   
moved in for the assimilation. 

The four Hachi in the shadows revealed themselves and   
moved over to the new Drones. Iris looked over the damage caused   
to the original Drone and turned to Poppy. "Can it be healed?" 

Poppy nodded. "Watch." And before their eyes, the Drone's   
antennae began to rebuild themselves. "The Drones are now   
self-repairing. They can regenerate any missing body part." 

Rose pointed to the wings. "What about healing?" 

Poppy shook his head and moved behind the Drone. "The   
nanoprobes only replace parts, not heal." He ripped off the   
remainder of the wings. "It's better to remove the damaged part,   
than to heal it." Again, they watched as the wings rebuilt   
themselves in front of their eyes. Now, before them stood four   
Neo-Drones, instead of the two original. 

"The nanoprobes are in constant production of themselves,   
correct?" Iris inquired. 

"Right, Captain. The Drones will never run out." 

Iris nodded and turned toward the door. "Good work, Poppy,   
Mum. Start the re-assimilation of the Scout and Warrior Drones.   
You can offer the re-assimilation to the entire ship, but it is not   
necessary. Concentrate on getting the Warriors done, first." 

Poppy nodded and saluted. "Yes, Captain." He nodded to Rose   
and they left. 

As the two officers walked through the corridors of the   
_Tokemonu_, they discussed the ramifications of what they had just   
seen. "Captain, do you know the ki capabilities of the Humans on   
Chikyuu?" 

Iris shrugged. "I don't think they have much, untrained. The   
warriors will have a higher ki level than non-warriors, of course." 

Rose nodded. His eyes brightened as an idea crossed his   
mind. "What do you think a Saiya-jiin Drone will be like?" 

Iris smiled at his junior officer's question. He knew that Rose had some   
run-ins with Saiya-jiin in the past, and held a grudge against the race, non-existant   
as it was. "I don't know, Rose. But I look forward to seeing it happen." 

*********** 

A lone male figure floated naked on a balcony, legs and arms   
crossed in a meditative posture, contemplating the sunrise that   
formed in front of him. An equally naked female figure came up   
behind him and wrapped slender arms around his narrow waist. His   
only reaction was to wrap his furry tail around her waist, bringing   
her close to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and silently   
contemplated the sunrise with him. 

After a few moments of silence, the female asked the male,   
"What are you thinking about, Vejiita-chan? Is it the new enemy?" 

He sighed and nodded slightly, crossing his arms tighter and   
glaring into his chest. "It is not your concern, Onna." 

Bulma frowned with him. "It is too my concern, Otoko; if it   
concerns you, it concerns me." She crossed in front of him and   
glared into his downcast eyes. "Don't push me away, Vejiita. I   
deserve to know." She crossed her arms and frowned deeply. 

Vejiita looked up and into his mate's eyes. He saw   
stubbornness. He saw defiance. And he also saw love. For him. And   
confidence in him and his abilities. He closed his eyes again and   
shook his head. "Onna, there is no need for your concern." He   
blinked and stared into her eyes. "I'll do it for the both of us." 

Bulma's eyes and facial features softened. She stepped   
closer to him, radiating comfort and confidence. Vejiita opened his   
arms and lifted her into his lap. He bit her nose and buried his face   
in her hair, looking for the answers he required within the silky sea   
of blue. 

Bulma sighed and rested her head against his. Her eyes   
became glassy as she thought about the dream from the other night.   
"They're going to arrive, or attack, or whatever, soon, aren't they?" 

Vejiita grunted non-committally into her hair. He wrapped   
his arms around her tighter, trying to shield her from the dangers   
the new enemy will bring. "When the bakayaro arrive, we will be   
ready for them." He looked up suddenly and stared into the horizon.   
He smirked and nipped Bulma's ear. "Kakarotto's awake. And he   
bonking that loudmouth that he calls a mate." 

Bulma's eyes were wide. "How do you know that?" 

Vejiita licked the underside of her earlobe, causing Bulma to   
shiver in delight. "I can feel his ki level. Just like I felt Seiika and   
Serori mating last night." 

She backed up so she could see his face. "You mean, you can   
tell?" Vejiita nodded and bent his head slightly to nibble on her   
neck. Bulma's eyes went wider. "Do you think they felt us last   
night?" 

"Does it matter?" She nodded violently. He smirked. "More   
than likely. Kakarotto probably felt it last night, but is too dense to   
recognize it for what it was. Seiika and Serori were wrapped up in   
their own little world." 

"Ano..." 

"But nothing, Onna. You worry too much about trivial things.   
This modesty idea you Humans have is rather tiring." Vejiita sighed   
exasperatedly. He then turned his attention back to Bulma's neck.   
"Besides," as his mouth wandered lower, "it's none of their business   
what we do." 

Bulma sighed and wiggled closer to him, wrapping her arms   
and legs around him. "Still, it's sort of, well, like voyeurism, I guess.   
I'm glad that I don't have the ability to sense that kind of stuff."   
She jumped a bit when Vejiita bit too hard. "Watch it, Otoko." 

He glanced up into her face, as he switched sides. "You   
should learn, Onna. It is a very useful talent." 

She shook her head. "I was never adept at that kind of   
stuff. Kuririn and Son-kun tried teaching me several times, but I   
never got the hang of it." Vejiita grunted in reply. 

He looked up and into the distance again, scanning it with his   
slanted eyes. Bulma glanced in the same direction. "What is it?" 

Vejiita continued to silently stare into the distance. He   
blinked and shook his head. "It's nothing. I just felt...something.   
Probably Kakarotto orgasming again." Vejiita held onto Bulma and   
floated into the bedroom. His hands started to roam over her body,   
light caresses and touches stimulating more than anything. His eyes   
took on a greedy gleam as he rubbed noses with Bulma. "Well, we'll   
just have to show Kakarotto we're up, as well." 

Bulma giggled and entwined her fingers deep in his hair.   
"Wouldn't it be easier to call him on the phone?" 

He grunted and attacked her lips with his own. After a few   
moments of battle, he released them and gave her a letcherous grin.   
"I think this way has more benefits." 

Bulma giggled again and tightened her grip on his hair.   
"You're just a horny little devil, aren't you?" 

Vejiita smirked and lowered her onto the bed. "Well, this is   
one thing about me that you'll have to get used to, won't you?" He   
lowered his head and sent a long, long-distance wake-up call to those   
who understood it. 

******* 

A few hours later, Vejiita approached the Son-ke and   
hovered in mid-air, with his arms crossed. He wore a skin tight   
black body suit with a royal blue jagged stripe down one side-a gift   
from Bulma-and a deep frown. Soon, Goku came out of the house,   
and waving goodbye to his family, flew up to where Vejiita was   
waiting for him. 

He hovered in front of Vejiita, with a big smile on his face.   
"Ohiayo, Vejiita! How are you this morning?" 

Vejiita growled and turned around. "Let's go, Kakarotto. I   
wasted enough time this morning waiting for you." He took off in a   
southerly direction. 

Goku followed directly behind him. "Where are we going?"   
he called out above the rushing air around them. 

Vejiita snorted in reply. "Have you forgotten already,   
Kakarotto? We start training Serori today." 

"Oh! I thought it was going to be just us, today. I thought   
we would wait until Serori and Seiika moved into Capsule Corp first." 

"Why wait? Serori is dreadfully behind in his training, and if   
we are going to defeat this new enemy we know nothing about, we   
have to be ready. If we wait, it's just wasting valuable training   
time." 

Goku nodded slowly and shrugged. "Whatever you say,   
Vejiita." They flew a few moments in silence until Goku asked   
another question. "Hey, Vejiita, can I ask you something?" 

Vejiita grunted and spit out. "What now, Kakarotto? Do we   
have to stop for a potty break?" 

Goku shook his head. "No. I was just wondering if you knew   
where Seiika and Serori lived. Because I don't remember where my   
pod landed yesterday." He chuckled a little and smiled at the   
scowling Prince. 

He rolled his eyes in disgust. "I don't know where they live,   
baka. I'm just following their ki. Did you forget everything in   
space?" 

Goku shook his head again. "Iie, I was just wondering. Ano,   
Vejiita, how come you never mentioned Seiika-oujo before?" 

Vejiita was silent for quite awhile. Goku thought he didn't   
hear him and was going to repeat the question, but was stopped   
short by Vejiita's answer. "I never talked about her because I   
thought she was dead." Vejiita added a burst of speed and shot   
ahead. Goku studied his disappearing form for a moment, then burst   
after him, a small knowing smile lighting his jovial features. 

***** 

They arrived in Nerima a few minutes later. Vejiita and Goku   
touched down in the backyard, near the koi pond. They walked up to   
the back door and just as they were about to announce their   
presence, it was opened by Kasumi, a warm smile on her pleasant   
face. 

"Ohiayo, Goku-san, Vejiita-ototochan! We were just about to   
have breakfast. Won't you join us?" She smiled sweetly at them,   
indicating to enter. 

Goku's stomach answered for him. "Arigato, Kasumi-san.   
That sounds like a great idea!" Goku smiled back. 

"Kakarotto, didn't you just eat at home?" Vejiita raised an   
eyebrow. 

He nodded vigorously. "Hai, I did, but I can never turn down   
an offer of food. Especially good food!" 

Kasumi beamed at Goku and ushered the two inside. "Domo   
arigato, Goku-san! It's nice to be appreciated. Please, come in." 

Both nodded and Goku eagerly made his way to the breakfast   
table. Vejiita entered more slowly, and gave Kasumi a small nod of   
the head. "Is Serori awake yet?" 

Kasumi shook her head. "Ranma and Akane are both still   
sleeping. We decided to let them sleep in, since it is their   
honeymoon, after all." Vejiita nodded again and walked inside. He   
scanned all around him and indicated to the stairs. 

"They're up there?" 

"Third door on the left." 

"Arigato." Vejiita levitated up the stairs and to the   
designated door with the wooden duck inscribed with his sister's   
adopted name. He opened the door and entered the room. 

Vejiita closed the door soundlessly behind him and moved to   
stand at the foot of the bed. He smirked at the scene in front of   
him. Ranma and Akane were a mass of tangled limbs and blankets.   
Each were intertwined in the other's arms; Ranma had his legs   
thrown over Akane's bare ones. Blankets and sheets covered all vital   
areas. 

Akane stirred a little bit and Vejiita got a good look at her   
face. His eyes softened as he took in her visage. He still couldn't   
believe his long lost sister was alive, and right in front of him. Soft   
creamy skin, pouty lips, and silky dark blue hair filled his vision,   
burning into his memory. 

Waitaminute. Blue Hair? 

He blinked rapidly. Where'd she get blue hair? She's never   
had blue hair before. It was always as dark and black as his. Is this   
an after-effect of being on Chikyuu too long? Was his hair going to   
turn blue? This is something he had to ask her about later. 

Definitely. 

But first, they needed to be woken up. Vejiita smirked. He   
knew the perfect way of waking them up. He slowly started to   
increase his ki level, little by little, watching for their reaction. 

Only he got someone else's reaction. Goku poked his head in   
the door. "Hey, Vejiita. Whatcha doing? I felt your ki rise..." 

"Kakarotto, shut up!" Vejiita hissed over his shoulder. "I'm   
testing their danger sense." 

Goku nodded and walked into the room. "Can I help, too?" 

Vejiita grunted, but did not refuse his offer. He pointed to   
to where he should stand. Goku nodded and stood where indicated,   
and raised his aura to match his sparring partner's. 

Ranma and Akane stirred every so often, but did not wake up.   
Vejiita's scowl got deeper and deeper, as their ki levels rose higher   
and higher. He cursed their lack of training. He was also getting   
rather bored and frustrated. Vejiita indicated to Goku to make a   
jump. He nodded, and at Vejiita's signal, both flared their auras   
bright, lighting the room. 

That woke Ranma up. Dramatically. Ranma jumped up and   
stood on the bed, his own aura bright and defensive. He stood above   
Akane, and growled menacingly, albeit with his eyes barely open, 

"What in the hell is going on?" 

Goku snickered and covered his mouth with his hands. "It's   
about time you got up! We've been standing here for forever!" 

Vejiita frowned deeply and crossed his arms. "You and Seiika   
do not have a danger sense to speak of. If we were the enemy, you   
would have been dead. And you consider yourself trained." 

Beneath Ranma, Akane stirred sleepily. "Ranma, be quiet. I'm   
trying to sleep here." She roughly pulled the covers over her head. 

Ranma blinked and finally opened his eyes fully, noticing who   
occupied the room with them. "Uh, Akane, um, you might want to   
wake up. We have, uh, guests." Ranma absently scratched his head   
in confusion, still partially asleep himself. 

Akane mumbled under the covers. "Guests? Who in the hell   
would be visiting us at such an ungodly hour? It better not be that   
hussy Shampoo. I thought we'd seen the last of her, especially since   
I almost killed her yesterday..." Akane threw off the covers,   
expecting the purple-haired Chinese Amazon to be strutting her   
assets once again. She blinked when she saw Vejiita scowling deeply   
and Goku smiling happily, both standing in front of her. 

"Oh. Guests. As long as it isn't that purple-haired slut."   
Akane laid back down and threw the covers back over her head. She   
mumbled from under the blankets. "What are you two doing here so   
stinking early?" 

Vejiita smirked and cooed at his tired sibling, pulling at the   
covers. "I just wanted to spend some quality time getting   
reacquainted with my long lost sister. Is that so wrong?" Vejiita   
attempted a mock-hurt look when Akane peeked an eye out from   
under the covers. 

"Yeah, right. Whatever, Vejiita-chan. Love you too. Now, go   
'way." She grumbled loudly and wrapped a strong hand around   
Ranma's tail. "Ranma-chan, make them go away." 

Ranma winced, scratched his head, thought, and sat back   
down on the bed. "How am I supposed to do that?" He turned to   
the older Saiya-jiin in the room. "Go away?" Vejiita shook his head.   
He levitated himself in the air and crossed his legs and arms in a   
very Piccolo-esque pose. Goku just shrugged and grinned. 

"Uh, Akane, that didn't work." 

A grunt of frustration was heard from underneath the   
blankets. They were soon launched off the bed and onto Ranma's   
head when Akane sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.   
She stomped over to where Vejiita was 'meditating,' and poked a   
finger into his nose. 

"Listen here, ototo-chan. This is my honeymoon, got it? I   
want to sleep in, got it?" She emphasized her words with a random   
poke on Vejiita's nose. She grew angrier when she received no   
acknowledgment from the silent Prince. "So if you value your life,   
and your ability to procreate," Vejiita's eyes snapped open at the   
threat. Akane smirked, seeing his reaction. "Oh, you didn't think I   
would know what happened last night, Vejiita-chan? Thought I was   
too caught up with Ranma, ne? So who's my sister-in-law?" All three   
males in the room widened their eyes at the implication. 

"Nani???" 

Vejiita, however, went red with embarrassment and backed   
up a bit. "What are you talking about, Seiika? I don't think you   
know what you're saying." 

Akane smirked even wider, knowing she caught him in her   
headlights. "Come on, Vejiita-chan," she cooed silkily. "Don't think I   
didn't feel you Bond last night. It was broadcast to everyone with ki   
senses." Goku blinked a few times, wondering what she was talking   
about. He did feel Vejiita's ki spike a few times last night, but just   
shook it off to training. Akane leaned in a bit. "And I have a very   
clear suspicion that you just became a new heir to Capsule   
Corporation. Am I close, Ouji?" Vejiita said nothing to acknowledge   
her guess, but blushed deep scarlet, comfirming her suspicions. 

Goku scrunched his eyebrows together in deep concentration.   
"Nani? If you are the new heir to Capsule Corp, Vejiita, then that   
would mean..." Goku covered his mouth with both hands. Vejiita   
grumbled softly under his breath. "That would mean you married   
Bulma's Okaasan!" He scratched his head in confusion. "But I   
thought she was married to Bulma's Otousan?" 

All three present face-faulted massively. Vejiita recovered   
quickly, red in the face; this time from anger. "Not her, Kakarotto,   
you bakayaro!! Argh!" 

"But then who? The only other girl there is Bulma, and you   
two hate each other." 

Akane snickered loudly. "Well, Goku-san, you might want to   
re-think your opinion on their relationship." Ranma snorted from the   
bed. 

Vejiita harshly crossed his arms. "Sometimes,   
Kakarotto-baka, you amaze me with your stupidity." 

Akane lashed her tail against her brother's legs in reproach.   
"Be nice, ototo-chan." He just sniffed and closed his eyes. 

"So..." 

Vejiita cracked open an eye and peered at his sister. "So,   
what?" 

"So, are you going to confirm it?" 

He just shrugged his shoulders and reclosed his eye. "Believe   
what you want." 

Ranma slid off the bed and thumped Vejiita on the shoulder.   
"Congratulations! Welcome to the world of whipped mates,   
Vejiita-ouji." 

Vejiita cracked open his eye again and glanced down at   
Ranma's hand on his shoulder. "Don't do that again, Serori, or you'll   
have to use the Dragonballs to wish back a new hand." 

Ranma quickly removed his hand from where it rested and   
brought it behind his head. "Gomen, Vejiita-ouji." 

But before things got too tense, Kasumi announced breakfast,   
and the call of the Saiya-jiin stomachs broke the silence. 

"Oh boy! Food!" Goku shot through the door, and Ranma was   
about to, but was halted by Akane's firm grip on his tail. 

"Where do you think you're going? Shouldn't you get dressed   
first?" She indicated to his current state of nakedness. "Unless   
you want to parade around the breakfast table stark-naked in front   
of your Okaasan, Otousan, my 'Tousan, Kasumi, and Nabiki, you might   
want to put some clothes on." She released his tail and crossed her   
arms. "But don't let me stop you." 

Ranma looked down and blushed slightly. "Yeah, well, I guess   
I could wear a few clothes." He left the room to go to the room he   
used to share with his father. He returned almost immediately in a   
blue version of his normal Chinese shirt and black pants. 

Vejiita smirked. "Modesty is such an exasperating emotion.   
Humans are so embarrassed by their bodies, and seeing others." 

"It's a human quirk, I guess." Akane shrugged her shoulders   
and preened her tail. "When I first met, well, re-met Ranma, we saw   
each other naked in the furo. I screamed about a hentai in the bath   
and have called him that ever since." Her eyes glazed over,   
remembering. "I do recall back on Vejiita-sei that the baths were   
co-ed. If you're naked, you're naked. Simple as that. Everyone has   
the same parts." 

Vejiita nodded, and glanced at Akane's garments, or well,   
lack-of. "You might want to take the same advice, Seiika. Ad much   
as Serori here enjoys your naked state, it is something that I do not   
wish to see at the breakfast table." 

She glanced down and noticed her unclothed state of   
being.She gave her brother a smirk. "Why not? Is there something   
wrong with the way I look?" She ran her hands down her sides   
prevocatively, letting out a small moan when they trailed over   
certain eroginous zones. 

Ranma stared at her dancing fingers, and grinned wickedly.   
"Well, I have no complaints!" He moved closer to her and wrapped   
her in his arms, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. 

Vejiita rolled his eyes and snorted at their display of   
affection. He walked over to the door, and commented over his   
shoulder before closing it. "Serori, training begins after we eat.   
You too, Seiika-chan." He closed the door and left the   
newly-remated couple to get ready for the day.   
********* 


	11. TMATNB: Part Two

A Tail To Remember   
Chapter Ten: The Morning After the Night Before, part 2   
*************   


When he arrived downstairs, the rest of the household was   
gathered at the table. Nabiki looked like she had slept at the table   
last night; Soun and Genma were reading the morning paper. Nodoka   
was just sitting down and Kasumi entered the room with the last of   
the food. 

Goku had a set of chopsticks in his hands and was watching   
Kasumi place the food down on the table with the skill of an eagle's   
eye, all the while bouncing up and down in anticipation. He briefly   
tore his gaze from the food and focused it on his Prince. "Are   
Serori and Seiika coming down?" 

"Hn. Sit still, Kakarotto. You're as antsy as a brat." 

Nabiki opened a sleepy eye and trained it on the visitors.   
"Ohaiyo, Vejiita-ototochan." Vejiita winced and glared at the   
nickname. Nabiki calmly ignored it. "If I may ask, and I will, why   
are you two here so early this morning?" 

He scowled at the lack of respect. "You will show me more   
respect, Onna. Kakarotto and I are here to begin Seiika and   
Serori's training." 

"Seiika and Serori? Oh, you mean Akane and Ranma." Vejiita   
said nothing to acknowledge the name difference. "They did plenty   
of 'training' last night. They kept me up half the night until they   
moved the yowling and thumping outside." 

Nodoka nodded. "Ranma-chan was very manly with   
Akane-chan last night. I was so proud of him!" The others   
sweatdropped, but said nothing. 

Kasumi spoke up. "Vejiita-ototochan," the male flinched once   
again, but said nothing, "who is Kakarotto?" 

Goku answered for him. "That's me, Kasumi-san." 

Everyone turned a curious eye to the tall Saiya-jiin. "Why?"   
Kasumi asked innocently. 

He explained with a shrug. "That's my birth name on   
Vejiita-sei. Only Vejiita calls me that, though. Son Goku was the   
name my grandfather, Son Gohan, gave me when I arrived on   
Chikyuu. It's who my son is named after, as well." 

One of the papers rustled and threw out a question. "Isn't   
Son Gohan one of the past winners of the Tenka-ichi Budokai?" 

Goku nodded emphatically. "Hai. Grandpa Gohan was a great   
fighter. He was the one that trained me in the very beginning   
before I...he died." A moment of silence followed his explanation. 

Soun peeked out from behind his section of the paper. "I   
remember hearing about that tournament." His eyebrows furrowed   
in concentration. "Were you ever in the Tenka-ichi Budokai,   
Goku-san?" 

Goku nodded. "Hai, I have been in several. I started when I   
was young, after training with Kamesen'nin Muten Roshi." 

A look of awe crossed Soun's face and Genma lowered his   
paper to study the Saiya-jiin in front of him. "You studied under   
Muten Roshi, Goku-san?" 

Goku nodded again. "Hai. That's were me and Kuririn learned   
the Kame hame ha" 

Genma nodded. "He's a world-reknown martial arts master. I   
wanted to take Ranma to train under him but could not find where   
he holed himself." Genma sighed at the missed opportunity. 

"His island is in the middle of the ocean. You would not have   
been able to find it without someone directing you to it." 

Nodoka threw out a question. "How did you find it, then,   
Goku-san?" 

"Kamesen'nin had one of the dragonballs that Bulma and I   
were looking for. So we found it with the dragon radar she   
invented." 

Nabiki rolled her eyes at the martial artist mumbo-jumbo and   
changed the subject. "I have a question, Goku-san." He nodded in   
response, turning his attention to her. At that moment, Ranma and   
Akane made their appearance and sat down in their customary spots.   
Food then began to be passed around at a very rapid rate. 

"Tell me, Goku-san," Nabiki continued, after getting her   
share of the meal, "Vejiita-ototochan said that you were sent to   
wipe out Chikyuu when you were a baby." Goku nodded   
uncomfortably. "So why didn't you?" Everyone paused in their   
eating, except for Vejiita, who calmly continued on. "Not that I'm   
complaining, I was just curious." 

Goku sighed and set his chopsticks on the table. "Well, I   
don't remember anything because I was sent off-planet so young,   
but I was told I was sent as a baby because I was born with a power   
level of three." The three other Saiya-jiin in the room snickered.   
"And when I arrived, I was a terror. But one day, in one of my   
temper tantrums, I fell over a cliff and hit my head on a rock, and   
lost my memories of being Saiya-jiin, and my mission." Goku picked   
up his chopsticks and resumed his vacuuming, well, eating. Vejiita   
mumbled something under his breath about third-class baka traitors   
that earned him an elbow in the side from Akane. 

Nabiki smiled at the naiveté of Goku. "So you bumped your   
head and had amnesia, forgetting about having to cleanse Chikyuu of   
the Humans." Goku nodded and continued to eat. 

"Well, that's certainly lucky for us, right, Saotome?" Soun   
chuckled lightly. Genma just grunted and continued to shovel food in   
his mouth. 

In a few short minutes, breakfast was devoured and cleaned   
up. Everyone that wanted to, gathered outside to watch the training   
session. 

Goku and Vejiita circled Ranma, who was circling, himself,   
trying to keep an eye on both of them. Without warning, the two   
older Saiya-jiin simultaneously attacked the unsuspecting Ranma.   
Seeing the two-fronted assault, Ranma jumped in the air, hoping   
they would collide with each other. 

No such luck. Vejiita bounced off the ground and launched   
himself after the blue-shirted Ranma. Goku followed a moment later   
and within a blink of an eye, both began to pummel Ranma   
mercilessly. 

Ranma, however hard he tried, wasn't able to get a hit in   
anywhere. He spent the entire duration of the attack in defense,   
trying not to get hit by the stunning blows that Goku and Vejiita   
were attacking with. But both were holding back, much to Ranma's   
disappointment. He knew that if they didn't hold back, then he   
would be in much worse shape than he was in now. A thought   
crossed his mind. 'Is this what Akane feels like when I won't spar   
with her?' But such thoughts were meant for another time--when he   
actually could concentrate on them. For now, he had to focus all his   
attention and energy on not dying under the two merciless   
Saiya-jiin's training methods. 

After several minutes of pounding the living snot out of the   
young male in front of them, the two adults stopped their attack and   
backed away. 

Vejiita spit off to the side in annoyance. "You were not   
trained properly. That was a weak assault on you. If we went full   
board, you would be nothing but a piece of cloth fluttering in the   
wind." Vejiita scowled once again at his poorly trained   
'brother-in-law.' 

On the porch, Genma, who was watching the training session   
with Soun, became red in the face at the insult, but wisely, said   
nothing. He snorted and went inside, Soun following in his friend's   
footsteps. 

'Aww, Vejiita, he's not that bad." Goku turned to the barely   
floating Ranma. "You have a long way to go, Serori, to be caught up   
with the two of us. But at least you have the basics down. You seem   
to have improved slightly from yesterday's match, ne, Vejiita?"   
Vejiita just grunted. 

Ranma nodded weakly. "I know. Compared to you both, I'm   
just a beginner. Although, you have been training for longer than I   
have." 

Vejiita snorted. "That's no excuse. Kakarotto's brat has   
been training for only a couple of years. And he is at least around   
your level." 

"Well, since you two act all high and mighty, why don't you   
show me, the weakling brat, how to do it?" Ranma sneered at   
Vejiita, getting pissed off at the Prince for damaging his pride. The   
others watching on the porch murmured an agreement. It would   
truly be a sight to see the stronger ones 'go at it.' 

Akane spoke up, coming off the porch to talk to the three   
males. "What about me? I want to spar, too." 

Goku looked at Vejiita with a question on his face. Vejiita   
crossed his arms and spoke one word: "Gohan." 

Goku's eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically. "That's a   
great idea, Vejiita! He'd be a great sparring partner." 

"Isn't Gohan your little boy, Goku-san?" 

He nodded once again. "Hai, he is, but he's a really good   
fighter. He's been training almost constantly for several years.   
He's better than you, Seiika-oujo, but you would need to fight   
someone more on your level." He turned to Ranma. "Kuririn would be   
a good partner for you, Serori." Goku then turned to his Prince.   
"What do you think of that one, Vejiita?" 

He grunted and nodded a bit. "Hn. The bald creature would   
be adequate." 

Akane looked like she was about to get angry, but sighed, and   
nodded reluctantly. "If you feel that's best. It'll be strange   
fighting a child. Do you want to use the phone to call them?" 

Goku shook his head and smiled. "Actually, I have a new   
technique that I have been dying to show you. It's called Shinkou   
Idan, or I guess you could call it teleportation." 

Vejiita raised an eyebrow. "You know how to teleport,   
Kakarotto?" 

Goku smiled, his excitement over his new technique bubbling   
over through his actions. "Hai! I learned it on the planet I crashed   
on after Namek-sei blew up. I just concentrate on a person's ki; the   
stronger the better, and put two fingers up to my forehead and   
'poof!' It's sorta hard to do, but the more I do it, the easier it will   
get. Should I go get them now, Vejiita?" 

He nodded and Goku demonstrated his new technique. To   
everyone's amazement, they watched as Goku faded out of   
existence. 

Ranma jumped up and down, excited by the special move. "Oh   
boy! He's gotta show me that one!" 

Akane just rolled her eyes and snorted. "Yeah, right, Ranma.   
That's just what I need. You popping in and out of everywhere." A   
thoughtful look crossed her face. "Although, it would be a useful   
way to get out of Kuno situations..." Her reverie was interrupted by   
Goku popping back in, with Gohan clinging to his leg. 

The young boy blinked a few times, and smiled up at his   
father in wonder. "Wow, 'Tousan, it actually works! It felt sort of   
funny, too." 

Gohan's father laughed, and tousled his hair. "It does, at   
first, but you get used to it fast." Gohan disentangled himself from   
his father's leg and Goku gave them a wave. "I'll go get Kuririn, now.   
Do you know where he is, Gohan?" 

He shook his head. "Not exactly. Try Kamesen'nin's house."   
Goku nodded and fizzled out. Gohan turned toward the rest of the   
group. "Hi, everyone! Ohaiyo, Seiika-oujo, Serori-san, Vejiita-ouji.   
'Tousan said we're going to spar today?" 

Akane nodded. "Hai, we already started this morning. Your   
Otousan said that you'd be a good partner for me." 

Gohan nodded. "That sounds like fun. Okaasan almost didn't   
let me come, but 'Tousan convinced her. She doesn't like me to fight   
a lot." 

At that moment, Goku popped back in with Kuririn at his side.   
The smaller male shook his head, clearing himself of the tingly   
feeling the teleporting left behind. "That's some ride, Goku." The   
bearer of the ride just smiled in response. 

Akane walked up to the new arrival and introduced herself.   
"Ohaiyo! I'm Saotome Akane, and the tired lump of blood over there   
is my mate, Ranma." Ranma waved in greeting. 

Kuririn bowed back. "It's nice to meet you." He turned   
toward Ranma and gave him a once-over. "I've heard some things   
about you, Saotome-san." He raised an eyebrow. "Are they true?" 

Ranma stood as straight as his body and his pride would let   
him and he puffed out his chest. "Of course they aren't. I'm much   
better than the stories make me out to be!" 

Akane groaned and elbowed him in the side. Ranma bent over   
and winced in pain. "Baka! Stop puffing yourself up. The only   
stories that are true is how you keep getting chased by those   
floozies and running around naked." She turned back to Kuririn   
again. "He thinks he's hot stuff. Although that remains to be seen,   
especially since he shown it so well, so far." She indicated to the   
bloody pools forming around his feet. 

Kuririn shook his head. "I can tell Goku and Vejiita got to you   
already today." 

Ranma scoffed and straightened out a bit, throwing Akane a   
scowl. "Yeah, well, I let them beat me up. Good for their egos."   
Snickers and snorts were heard from all around. Ranma just   
scowled. 

Kuririn coughed and tried to cover his own chuckle. He   
turned to Goku. "Well, what should we do?" 

Vejiita nodded to Ranma. "I want you to spare with Baldy,   
Serori. Brat, go with Seiika. Light, for now. No ki attacks. I'll tell   
you when to step up." 

All four combatants nodded. Gohan and Akane jumped into   
the air, and Ranma and Kuririn followed suit, moving a pace or two   
away. 

Each partnered set powered up and flew at each other to   
being attacking. It was obvious who had the better training in each   
pair. Kuririn and Ranma were fairly well-matched, but Kuririn had a   
glaring advantage, being fresh to the fight. 

Akane was holding her own against young Gohan, but again,   
Gohan had a clear advantage, fighting-wise. Sure, he has been   
training for only a short time, but his training had been intense,   
unlike Akane, who's training was very light and lax over several   
years. 

Gohan got a good hit in, and Akane went flying, landing in the   
dust. Ranma, seeing Akane fly through the air, got distracted long   
enough for Kuririn to notice and take advantage of the momentary   
lapse in attention. Kuririn launched a clean crescent kick to his   
opponent's midsection, and Ranma flew backwards, landing in the koi   
pond. 

Ranma surfaced seconds later, female, and spitting out a   
mouthful of pond water. He sprung from the pond with a cry and   
furiously attacked the bald monk. 

Kuririn, though, had never met 'Ranko,' and was completely   
startled by the redhead. 'Who is this? Where'd she come from? Is   
this really Ranma?' 

Ranma took full advantage of Kuririn's confusion. "Kachuu   
Tenshin Ameguriken!" 

Kuririn staggered back, stunned by the sheer amount of hits   
that Ranma was getting in, that is, if this was really Ranma. He had   
heard vaguely of the redhead with the same name, but just passed it   
off as hearsay and fabrication. 

"Well, I guess it isn't a rumor, anymore!" Kuririn blocked the   
punches as well as possible, and when he saw a chance, launched his   
own counter-attack. 

Ranma grunted as his fists were blocked and felt Kuririn's   
own, meeting their marks. 'This guy is good--and fast. Goku-san was   
right when he said he'd be a good sparring partner." Ranma grinned   
through gritted teeth and picked up the pace once more. 

Meanwhile, while the two pairs were sparring, Vejiita and   
Goku were watching the fights carefully. Vejiita's scowl got deeper   
and deeper as Ranma and Akane got hit more and more. He gritted   
his teeth and reluctantly called out: "Alright, next level!" 

Ranma threw his partner a grin and shouted "Mouko   
Takabisha!" The ki blast hit Kuririn in the arm. Ranma backed up   
and waited for Kuririn's assault. 

He wasn't disappointed. Kuririn raised his arms and crossed   
them in front of his face. "Taiyo-ken!" A bright flare lit up the sky   
and Ranma covered his blinded eyes with a shout. 

Kuririn used the blinding flash to his opportunity and   
attacked him at full speed. Ranma was still blind, but tried to block   
the onslaught as best as possible. Soon, he was able to see blurry   
outlines, but Kuririn was moving so fast he was a fuzzy blur already. 

When Vejiita announced the next level, Gohan put his hands   
together and made the motions for his ki attack. "Kame..." but   
Kuririn's flash attack blinded him. Akane took full advantage of her   
sparring partner's blindness and pulled out her mallet from subspace.   
Akane cried out and swiped Gohan in the stomach, knocking him to   
the ground, breathless. 

Ranma, seeing Akane won her match, called out to her. "Good   
one, Akane! Get out of the way!" She nodded in his direction, flew   
down to the porch, picking up Gohan on the way. 

Vejiita and Goku looked at her with questions written in their   
expressions. She shrugged and sat down on the porch. "Ranma's   
going to spiral." They nodded in acknowledgment and turned back to   
watch. 

Ranma led Kuririn into the spiral, kicking and punching to keep   
Kuririn occupied and his hot ki flowing, and at the same time, turning   
his own ki colder and colder. The others could feel the air starting   
to churn in response to the different fronts moving together. 

Akane saw them reach the center and shouted, "Now, Ranma!" 

Ranma nodded and with a punch that completely missed its   
target, but accomplished its task of mixing the auras, the shout of   
"Hiryuu Shoten Ha!" launched the cyclone of hot and cold ki that   
caught Kuririn completely unaware and unprepared. 

Gohan sat up and moved closer to Akane, watching Ranma   
create the tornado with a critical eye. "How does he do that,   
Seiika-oujo?" 

Akane looked over to the young Saiya-jiin and smiled. "That   
would be a secret I'm not allowed to tell. You'll have to ask Ranma   
about that one." 

Gohan nodded and shrugged. He'd find out one way or   
another. "That was a good match we had back there, Seiika-oujo.   
But why didn't you go Super Saiya-jiin? It would have helped your   
offense and defense tremendously." 

Akane looked puzzled. "Super Saiya-jiin? What are you   
talking about?" 

Goku and Vejiita both turned from watching Ranma's spiral   
and looked at her incredulously. "You don't remember?" 

Akane shook her head. "What am I supposed to remember?" 

Vejiita knelt down in front of Akane. "You transformed into a   
Super Saiya-jiin last night when you were mad at Serori." He stared   
hard into her eyes. 

Akane blinked at her brother. "Honto?" He nodded   
somberly. "What did I look like?" 

Vejiita blinked. "Well, you..." 

Gohan interrupted Vejiita. "'Tousan, why don't you show her   
what it looks like?" 

Goku looked down at his son and smiled. "Sure, Gohan." He   
lowered his head slightly and began to power up. His aura burst   
forth and Goku's Super Saiya-jiin features melted into being: tall,   
spiky, golden-blond hair, aquamarine pupil-less eyes, and a body that   
bulked out even more than it was originally, if that was possible. He   
smirked at Akane's surprised expression. "You look like this, only   
female, and smaller." 

Akane stared at Goku, feeling the power radiating off him in   
waves. She circled around him, taking in the new look. "I looked like   
this? Can I do it again?" 

He shrugged. "I don't see why not. I can control it now, but   
at first it was formed by my extreme anger at Friezer." 

Akane closed her eyes and concentrated on powering up. Her   
aura sprung into life and grew by leaps and bounds, and every now   
and then a flicker of yellow streaked through her aura and hair. But   
she didn't change all the way. 

By this time, the cyclone of ki had died down and Ranma and   
Kuririn came over to the four Saiya-jiin on the porch, watching   
Akane gather her power. Ranma decided to help Akane out with her   
power-up. 

"Hey, Akane, why do you even try? An uncute tomboy like   
yourself couldn't do such a thing. You might break a nail, or   
something!" Akane's aura flickered brighter. Vejiita's aura started   
to grow, in reaction to Ranma's words and Akane's aura. Goku put a   
hand on his shoulder to calm him down. He shrugged it off and   
glared at the taller male. But his attention quickly refocused on his   
sister. 

Ranma watched her aura with an amused eye and continued   
with the barbs. "Yeah, the only thing chunky and clunky girls like you   
are good for is doin' the cooking and cleaning. Oh wait, you can't   
cook worth snot, so cross out those ideas. You can't even do that!"   
Akane screamed loudly and exploded into Super Saiya-jiin, aura   
flaming wildly. 

Goku smiled as his partner in yellow started to chase her   
mate around the yard, yelling very colorful words. Vejiita and Gohan   
just watched in amusement. 

Ranma felt like he was running for his life. Which he was.   
"Akane, now just hold on a minute! I was just trying to help you   
achieve the next step! You know I didn't mean any of those things!   
Come on, I just wanted to see my Kiiro Himawari, my Yellow   
Sunflower." 

Akane stopped suddenly, realization dawning over her face.   
"Yellow sunflower? Is this why you called me that?" She indicated   
to her Super Saiya-jiin state. 

He nodded, slowly approaching her. "My Hima-chan." 

She smiled softly. "That's sweet, Ranma." She wiped the   
smile off her face. "But that doesn't get you out of your punishment   
for saying those things about me." She launched herself at him once   
more. 

Ranma widened his eyes and deftly avoided her attack. He   
started to run away from her once more. "But they were for your   
own good, Hima-chan..." And the chase continued. 

At that moment, Kasumi opened the door to the backyard and   
called out over the din of the chase and pointless bickering,   
"Vejiita-ototochan, you have a phone call." 

He turned around abruptly. "Who is it?" 

"It's Bulma-san." 

The male grumbled under his breath as followed Kasumi into   
the house. 

She handed him the receiver with a smile. "Here you go,   
ototochan!" 

He nodded and put the receiver to his ear. "What Onna?   
Must you disturb my training wherever I go?" 

~Capsule Corp~ 

Bulma sat on a stool in her lab with a cell phone cradled to   
her ear and a screwdriver in her hand. "Wonderful greeting,   
Vejiita-chan. Do you need special training on how to answer a   
phone?" 

"What do you want, Onna?" 

"I just wanted to remind you to bring Seiika and Serori back   
with you today." 

"I haven't forgotten, Onna." He paused. "Anything else   
before I slam the phone down?" 

"Not really. Having fun?" 

"Hmpf. Seiika went Super Saiya-jiin again. Serori pushed   
her into it once more by teasing her and getting her mad." 

"That's nice. Well, I just called to remind you. Do you know   
when you'll be coming back?" 

"This afternoon, most likely. Kakarotto's brat and Chrome   
Dome are here, as well." 

"How'd they get there?" 

"Kakarotto knows how to teleport." 

"Oh, neat. Okay, well, I'll let you get back to your fun." 

"Hmpf." 

"Anyway, do hurry home. It's rather quiet here without your   
constant nagging and barking." 

Vejiita snorted. "You will survive. You have before." 

"Yeah, well, I got used to your presence here really fast.   
And, well, I miss you." 

Vejiita paused and looked around to see if anyone was   
watching or listening. They were all doing their own things, or   
watching Seiika chase Serori around the yard. He turned his back   
on his semi-audience. "Your presence is lacking, as well, Onna.   
Seiika, Serori and Kakarotto know we've Bonded." 

"Nani?" She shouted in his ear. He pulled the phone away   
and winced. "How'd they find that out?" 

"Onna! Stop shouting. I'll go deaf at that rate! Seiika   
recognized our ki last night during the Ceremony and guessed you   
outright. Kakarotto thought I'd Bonded with your mother." 

"Nani? Where'd he get a stupid idea like that?" 

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Seiika said   
that I was the new heir to Capsule Corp. And being there baka he is,   
read it wrong." 

"Oh well. I knew we wouldn't be able to keep it a secret for   
long. Okay, I'm going now. See you later, Otoko." 

"Hmpf. Later, Onna." 

"Aishiteru, Vejiita-chan." 

Extended Pause. "Aishiteru, Onna." Vejiita mumbled quickly   
and slammed down the receiver with a pink blush to his high   
cheekbones. 

Bulma blinked for several long minutes; Vejiita's last words   
echoed in her ears. 

_ Aishiteru, Onna._

A small giggle sprouted from Bulma and rose in pitch and   
frequency until she was rolling on the floor in gales of laughter. She   
stood up and ran through the corridors like a giddy schoolgirl. 

"He said he loved me! Yatta! Yatta!" 

********** 

Back in Nerima, Vejiita emerged from the house with a deep   
scowl on his face, trying to desperately compose himself and   
restrain his emotions. Goku turned around when Vejiita neared him.   
"What did Bulma want?" 

"She called to remind me to bring Serori and Seiika back to   
Capsule Corp. As if I would forget." 

Goku nodded. "That's right! I'd forgotten." 

Vejiita scoffed and turned away. "I know you would,   
Kakarotto." They continued to watch Akane chase Ranma around the   
yard. She had been getting in some hits, seeing Ranma was beginning   
to tire from the running and dodging. Vejiita halted the fight with a   
phrase. "Seiika, attack the brat now." 

Gohan looked up at Vejiita, startled, but nodded. Akane   
turned toward Gohan and ran, fist drawn back for a punch. Gohan   
jumped into the air to avoid her swing, and kicked Akane in the back,   
knocking her down. She rolled right back onto her feet and launched   
herself again at the small demi Saiya-jiin, feet and fists blurring   
from the attack. 

Gohan blinked at the frenzied attack and managed to get in a   
few strikes of his own. The two traded blows and shots for some   
time before they broke apart, breathing heavily. 

"In this form, I'm a lot stronger!" Akane exclaimed between   
breaths. 

Gohan nodded, agreeing with her. "That was a lot better than   
the first time." 

Vejiita also nodded in agreement. "It was better, but you   
still had gaping holes in your defense. Now, I want the brat to   
attack, and you just block. No striking back. Gaki, find all the holes   
and strike repeatedly until they close up." Both nodded, and started   
sparring again, with Gohan on the offensive and Akane defending.   
He found plenty of holes, but Akane corrected them immediately. 

Vejiita called for a halt. They both panted breathlessly and   
slowly lowered themselves to the ground, Akane flickering out of   
Super Saiya-jiin mode. "Wow, I haven't worked out this hard since,   
well, never, I don't think!" Akane wheezed through the pain, holding   
her sides delicately. 

Ranma smiled down at her gasping form. "Yeah, Akane, that   
was incredible. I've never seen you push yourself so hard. You've   
already improved by leaps and bounds." 

Akane beamed up at her mate, eyes shining with his praise.   
"Arigato, Ranma-chan." She winced as she shifted her body. "I'm   
gonna be really sore for a long time." Ranma held out a hand to help   
her up. She accepted and gritted her teeth as she raised her body   
to a standing position. 

Vejiita walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.   
"When you're a Super Saiya-jiin, you should be able to handle much   
more abuse." He frowned a bit. "Why didn't you fire off any ki?   
Don't you have an attack?" Vejiita looked her up and down. "You   
released a large blast yesterday at the purple-haired female   
yesterday." 

She shook her head, wincing through the pain. "Iie, I really   
don't know how to use my ki. What I did yesterday was pure reflex.   
I don't know what emotion to base the blast from." 

Vejiita looked confused. "What do you mean, emotion?" 

Ranma explained that the motivation behind his Mouko   
Takabisha, where he drew from his confidence to power his ki. 

"That's wrong." He shook his head. "Ki flows in your veins. It   
is your life-force. Saiya-jiin are known throughout the galaxy for   
having the strongest life-forces. You draw upon it like you draw   
your aura. It doesn't require an emotion to fuel it." 

Goku added his own comment. "Well, it's sorta true, Vejiita.   
We may not use emotions consciously, but they are present. When I   
am angry, or when my emotions are very strong, I can draw vast   
more quantities of ki." He reminded Vejiita. "It's how I turned   
Super-Saiya-jiin. And how Seiika turned Super Saiya-jiin,   
remember? She was really mad at Serori." 

Vejiita stared at Goku, his jaw almost unhinged. "You know,   
Kakarotto, you might have said something correct for once." Goku   
widened his eyes and looked like he was about to hug Vejiita. The   
short male promptly narrowed his eyes, and scowled, turning away   
from the larger male. "Don't let it go to your head." 

He turned back to Ranma. "Who was the one to show you how   
to access your ki?" 

"Cologne was the one who taught me all my special attacks.   
Actually I learned my Mouko Takabisha to counter Ryouga's Shi Shi   
Hokodan." 

Vejiita raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "That wrinkled old   
female from yesterday?" 

Ranma nodded. "She may look helpless, but she'd give me a   
run for my money anyday." Vejiita just snorted and mumbled under   
his breath. 

Gohan looked interested in the conversation, and urged it to   
continue. "Serori-san, who's Ryouga, and what's a Shi Shi Hokodan?" 

Ranma smiled at the curious younger Saiya-jiin. "Ryouga is my   
rival. He's the one that I would spar with. If you ever hear someone   
yell, 'Ranma, how dare you hurt Akane! Prepare to die!', that's him.   
He's had a grudge against me for forever. And his Shi Shi Hokodan   
is a ki strike that is fueled by his depression." 

"Why is he so depressed?" Kuririn asked. 

"He can't beat me. He says that I made him go through Hell."   
Ranma gave Akane a quick glance out the corner of his eye. "And   
there are various other reasons. Like he has no sense of direction,   
whatsoever." 

"None?" 

"Nope. He'll get lost in a closet, and believe me, he has."   
Ranma smiled affectionately at some past memories. "But that's   
Ryouga for you. He actually was here yesterday, when me an' Akane   
discovered our tails and memories. He kinda freaked out, and got   
lost again." Ranma just shrugged off his rival's behavior as normal. 

Vejiita crossed his arms in annoyance. "Whatever. The Onna   
called to remind you of your relocation to Capsule Corp." 

Akane nodded, a smile flashing across her face. "That's right!   
I have to go pack our belongings." 

Kasumi came out of the house. "Lunch is almost ready. You   
all have been playing for such a long time!" She noticed the new   
arrivals. "Hello there. Akane-chan, who are your new friends? Are   
they staying for lunch?" 

Akane smiled back at her sister. "Kasumi-neechan, this is   
Gohan, Goku-san's son. Remember him from yesterday?" Kasumi   
nodded and waved. Akane motioned to the other new face. "This is   
Kuririn-san, a friend of Goku-san's. He'd sparred with Ranma today."   
She turned to the bald human. "Kuririn-san, this is Tendo Kasumi,   
my oldest sister." 

Kuririn and Kasumi formally bowed to each other. "It's always   
nice to meet new people." She noted the state of everyone in the   
yard. "Does anyone want to use the furo before lunch? It looks like   
everyone worked up a sweat from exercising." 

Ranma and Akane jumped at the offer. "Definitely!" They   
walked closely into the house, tails intertwined. 

Kasumi watched them go inside with a small smile on her face.   
She turned to the others. "Anyone else?" 

Goku looked down at Gohan next to him. "Do you want to,   
Gohan? You played pretty hard this morning, and you know how your   
'Kaasan likes you clean." 

Gohan scrunched his face up, but nodded. "Hai, 'Tousan." He   
stepped inside, but paused for a moment. "Um...where is it,   
Kasumi-san?" 

"Just follow Ranma and Akane upstairs. They may even let   
you use it first." Gohan nodded and hurried after the other two. 

Kuririn spoke up. "Did you need any help, Tendo-san, with   
lunch?" 

Kasumi gave him a big smile that made him blush. "Arigato,   
Kuririn-san! I would most welcome the help! I made plenty, knowing   
the healthy appetites of Vejiita-ototochan and Goku-san." Kuririn   
nodded and glancing back at the two remaining Saiya-jiin, mouthing   
'ototochan' to Goku, followed Kasumi into the house with a silly smile   
on his face. 

Vejiita turned to Goku and gave him a small nod. "Let's go,   
Kakarotto." He nodded and followed Vejiita high into the air, safely   
above everyone's line of sight, to spar a little before lunch was   
served.   
******** 


	12. TMATNB: Part Three

A Tail To Remember  
Chapter Eleven: The Morning After the Night Before, part 3

A short while later, Kuririn wandered out into the backyard  
to call the remaining guests in for lunch.

"Food!" Kuririn cupped his hands together and bawled the   
word into the air. 

In a flash, Goku was standing in front of him. "Is it ready?"   
He nodded and pointed to a faucet outside. "Kasumi-san asked if you   
could wash up out here first before coming inside." Goku nodded   
and moved to the faucet to start washing. 

Vejiita floated silently down and landed near Kuririn. He   
hesitantly approached the older male. "Uh, Vejiita-san, could you   
wash up by Goku?" 

He arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "And who said I   
have to? No one orders the Saiya-jiin no Ouji around." 

Kuririn stammered and swallowed audibly. "Well, Kasumi-san   
asked if you could." 

Vejiita narrowed his eyes at the bald male quivering under his   
strong stare. And abruptly turned towards Goku, who had just   
finished, and the faucet. Vejiita pushed Goku out of the way and   
commenced washing thoroughly. Kuririn handed them each a towel   
and followed the two clean Saiya-jiin inside to eat. 

Everyone was seated at the table, and they each found a   
seat. Vejiita forcefully moved Gohan from the spot next to Akane,   
and food began to be passed around. 

Dinner was eaten rather quietly, and meaningless small talk   
was directed at no one in particular. 

As they were finishing up, Akane brought up the subject of   
moving. "Vejiita-chan, I still have to pack up mine and Ranma's   
belongings. It may take awhile." 

Vejiita grunted in reply. He stood up and reached behind him   
and brought forth two capsules and handed them to Akane. "Onna   
sent these along. They're empty storage capsules. You can put what   
you want to bring along in them." 

Akane took them from his outstretched hand, smiled and   
patted Vejiita on the arm. "Arigato, Vejiita-chan. These will work   
perfectly. That was so thoughtful of her!" Vejiita just grunted,   
mumbling to himself and stalked outside with a faint blush of pink   
staining his cheeks. 

Dinner was cleaned up quickly. Akane and Ranma went   
upstairs to pack, and Goku teleported Kuririn back to Kame house. 

Vejiita floated in a lotus position over the koi pond. He   
reflected a still picture over the water as his mind reflected on the   
past sparring sessions, seeing what needed to be worked and   
focused on in the next sessions with Serori and Seiika. He saw a   
great deal of improvement in just the one morning, but much was   
needed to be accomplished before he could be remotely satisfied. 

Soon, though, his thoughts wandered to Bulma, and the   
events that took place last night. 

He never thought he would mate, ever. Especially when he   
found out Vejiita-sei was destroyed. And now, there was only one   
female Saiya-jiin known to exist, and that was his sister. But she   
was his sister! And plus, Serori would not be very happy about that   
line of thought. She was his, and he hers, for quite a long time. 

He probed the Link to see what Bulma was feeling at the   
moment. Bulma, a blue-haired weakling, wormed her way into his   
almost non-existent heart; pushed and shoved until she held it within   
her small grasp. He cursed himself for being so weak to accept the   
Bond so easily, and with such a pitiful species. 

But Bulma was not like the other Humans he had ever   
encountered. She may not be strong physically, but her mind is the   
strongest on the planet. She is a prodigy in the science field; a   
place where Vejiita had to admit, he knew barely anything, just   
enough to get by. 

Her spirit was invincible. She may have been frightened of   
him when he first arrived on Chikyuu with Nappa, and on Namek-sei,   
but she soon got over that. He was very surprised, though, when he   
was resurrected with the others on Chikyuu, she invited him to stay   
with her at Capsule Corp. 

She even called him cute. 

He blushed slightly at the memory; he had acted disgusted,   
but secretly he was surprised and a bit pleased, to see that she even   
took the time to notice him in that way. 

He reached out to her through the Link and let her emotions   
wash over him. She seemed to be occupied doing something.   
Probably in her lab tinkering with one of those infernal inventions of   
hers. She radiated to him her intense concentration and frustration   
about her project that wasn't working in the way it was supposed to.   
Suddenly, he felt waves of warm thoughts spash through him. She   
had felt his probe into the Bond. 

He enjoyed the sensations and sent his own thoughts of love   
and affection, or at least what he considered was love and affection.   
He sent her reassurances to help her concentrate on her project.   
He felt her gratitude and another tidal wave of love for him. 

He would never understand what motivated her to operate   
and think, but, with times like these to draw upon, he didn't want to.   
That would break her spirit, and that was what attracted him to her   
the most. Her spirit drove her emotions, and he was beginning to   
cherish her extremeness dearly. She may have the genes and   
composition of a human, but her heart, soul, and spirit was truly   
Saiya-jiin. He mused that if she were a pure-blooded Saiya-jiin   
through and through, she'd been irresistible to every male. He could   
see those traits in Seiika, and definitely could see that in Bulma. 

He was broken out of the contemplation of his mate by an   
unknown body jumping into his lap and wrapping its arms around his   
neck. He opened his eyes wide and was presented with the laughing   
eyes of his twin sister, Seiika. 

Akane had been watching Vejiita for several minutes, and saw   
his expression turn soft and dreamy. She could only guess who   
occupied the normally emotionless Prince's thoughts. Akane saw the   
perfect opportunity to jump the unguarded Vejiita. 

So she did. 

And scared the crap out of him. 

She grinned wide when she saw his eyes snap open in shock   
and confusion. 

"Kon'nichi wa, Vejiita-chan! Whatcha doin'?" She grinned   
even wider when his look of shock turned into a slow grin of his own. 

"I _was_ meditating, Seiika-chan. You might want to try it   
sometime..." 

She snorted and waved her hand in dismissal. "Nah, I'd just   
fall asleep." She quirked an eyebrow in his direction. "Seems I got   
woken up a little too early this morning by an annoying long-lost   
sibling and his friend that could have stayed lost for a couple more   
hours." Her eyes glinted mischievously. "I will have my revenge." 

Vejiita comfortably wrapped his arms loosely around her   
waist. "And how will you achieve this ill-met goal?" 

She gave him a look of mock-concentration. "Well, there are   
many torture devices for me to peruse, but I have always found one   
to be most torturous for the tormented, and most satisfying for the   
tormentor." 

He raised an eyebrow, curious and slightly amused. "And   
what would be this horrific torture?" 

Akane pulled an object out from behind her back. "This." 

He squinted his eyes, and studied the object in her hand   
thoroughly. "Ahh. I see." He fingered the white duck feather in   
her grasp. "And what do you intend to do with this weapon of   
torture?" 

She pulled the feather out of his reach. "Well, the best way   
to tell you, would be to show you." With that, she brushed Vejiita's   
sides lightly with her weapon. 

He twitched slightly. Akane raised an eyebrow and her lips   
curled into a smirk. 

She gently dragged the feather over the inside of his bare   
arm. 

It jerked out of the way. 

Akane's light smirk turned evil. "This is only the beginning,   
my Prince." She tossed the feather over her shoulder and cracked   
her knuckles loudly. "Prepare for death by tickling, Vejiita no Ouji!"   
Akane wiggled her fingers and commenced her attack on her twin's   
ribs. 

Vejiita's eyes went wide. What in the world was she doing to   
him? Her mere touch was sending shivers throughout his body, and   
making his muscles spasm involuntarily. What was this sensation she   
was creating? 

Vejiita snorted loudly. 

Well, it couldn't really be called a snort, because he made it   
with his mouth open. Maybe it was a sniff. Or a chuckle. All right,   
he admitted it. 

He laughed. 

As Vejiita twitched under Akane's Fingers of Torture, more   
and more laughs bubbled to the surface, and were released. As her   
fingers danced deftly over his compact frame, finding more and   
more tickle-zones, Vejiita laughed harder and harder, rare tears   
starting to course down his cheeks. He twisted, trying to find relief   
from the new sensations. 

Suddenly, as fast as his laughter started, Vejiita   
straightened out and with a flash, encased Akane's wrists within his   
hands. He stopped laughing abruptly and brought his face   
nose-to-nose with the female in his lap, staring at her accusingly. 

"You made me laugh." 

She reached out and wiped the tears of his face, smiling   
through her own tears, and happily nodded. "Hai, I did. You used to   
be a happy child. I remember having a lot of fun with you, often.   
You've become way too serious." 

He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes with   
a sigh. "That's what Friezer's army would have done to you.   
Laughter like that is considered a weakness, and will easily get you   
killed. I haven't laughed for the sake of laughing for a very long   
time, Seiika-chan." He raised his head and lightly brushed his lips   
against the ridge between her eyebrows and sighed once more,   
looking into her eyes. "Arigato, Seiika-chan. You don't know what it   
means to have you back in my life. The lack of your presence has   
been a very dark, and very deep, black void within me." 

She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his own ridge.   
"You mean the same thing to me, Vejiita-chan." She reached out and   
trailed her fingers over his face, turning his head back and forth a   
few times. "You grew up to look exactly like Papa. All you need is a   
goatee," she winked and patted his cheek, "and a few inches in   
height." 

He scowled slightly, but smirked anyway. "And you look   
exactly like his mate. Except," he reached out and fingered her   
hair. "Except for your hair. It's blue." He looked at her   
concernedly. "You never had blue hair before. It's not the same   
blue as the Onna's, but still, it's blue. Is this an after-effect of   
being on Chikyuu too long? Your hair was as dark as mine, although it   
always did lay rather flat." He unconsciously reached up and   
fingered his own wild locks. "Will my hair turn blue, as well?" 

Akane brushed back her hair and blushed. "Well, I, um...I dye   
it this color." 

A raised eyebrow. "Honto? Why?" 

She shrugged her shoulders and blushed a little more. "I was   
sick of the black color--everyone has that color, or a close variation.   
I wanted to be different, so I chose blue. It compliments the black,   
and hides the roots pretty well." She ran her fingers through her   
hair and ruffled it up some. She pulled back a clump for his   
examination. "See? I have black roots. I will have to dye it again,   
soon." 

He snorted. "That's rather vain of you, isn't it?" 

She smiled and nodded, straightening out her hair as much as   
possible. "Yup." 

Vejiita cracked his own knuckles and waggled his fingers.   
"Now about my revenge for your revenge..." 

Akane's eyes went wide and shook her head vigorously. "Oh   
no, you don't!" 

He gave her the same smirk she gave him earlier. "Oh, yes, I   
will!" Akane shrieked and shot out of Vejiita's lap. She stopped   
suddenly, though, when her tail was captured and held tight. She   
fell to the ground in pain. "Ow! Vejiita, let go!" 

Vejiita snorted and tugged a little more on her tail. "You   
have to get over the pain of your tail being pulled. Everyone in the   
galaxy knows how a good hand hold on the tail of a Saiya-jiin is   
disabling." 

Akane gritted her teeth against the pain. "Who said it was   
painful?" She laughed a few times. "See? No pain..." Vejiita gave it   
a few more tugs for good measure. Akane yelped loudly. "Pain!   
Okay! Lots of pain! Stop it, Vejiita!" 

He yanked it hard. "Make me." 

Akane stood up and backed up slightly, turning around.   
Vejiita had a nasty grin on his face, openly challenging her to stop   
him. She stomped over to him and started to tickle him again,   
finding the same spots she found earlier. 

Vejiita tried to resist the sensations she sent spasming   
through his muscles, but it was hard. He remembered he had a   
secret weapon in his hands and yanked hard. She momentarily   
stopped her assault of his ribs as the pain flashed over her body. 

He dropped her tail and began his own counter-assault on her   
ribs, immediately rendering her unable to move. She curled up into a   
ball and shrieked with laughter, vainly trying to push his nimble   
fingers away from her very ticklish sides. 

Some of the others who heard the commotion from the back   
yard wandered outside to investigate. The humans watched the two   
siblings play, smiles gracing their features. Goku and Gohan, though,   
were slackjawed with shock. 

The two Saiya-jiin continued to stare at Vejiita in   
amazement. They never would have pictured the emotionally barren   
male to ever crack a smile in joy, nevertheless be roaring in laughter,   
and be involved in a tickle war. They glanced at each other and   
smiled. Seiika was cracking and chipping away at the thick, hard   
encasing that Vejiita had wrapped around himself for so long. 

Ranma popped his head in between Goku and Gohan, munching   
on a sandwich he prepared in the kitchen, curious to see what had   
everyone's attention. "What's going on?" 

Goku eyed Ranma's sandwich, drool glistening in the corner of   
his mouth. "Vejiita and Seiika-oujo are tickling each other." Slowly,   
Goku reached over to grab the tasty sandwich, but Ranma took   
another bite and moved it out of his reach. 

"Really? They sure are noisy." He finished off the snack and   
Goku sighed sadly. "It's good to see Vejiita-ouji loosening up some.   
He's so reserved and aloof." 

Gohan raised an eyebrow in question. "What do you mean,   
Serori-san?" 

He shrugged slightly. "Well, it's just that on Vejiita-sei,   
Akane and I used to have lots of fun and play all the time with   
Vejiita-ouji, in between training, that is. Of course, we were only   
small kids at the time, too." 

Ranma stepped off the porch and walked over to where Akane   
and Vejiita were panting breathlessly, tired from their playtime. He   
sternly looked down at them lying on the ground and crossed his   
arms in a forceful manner. "Alright, you two." He spoke in a gruff   
manner with a voice an octave lower than his own. "How many times   
have I told you to stop running and playing in the palace halls? What   
kind of example are you setting for your subjects? Or would you   
like to have a session with Master Nappa?" 

Both Vejiita and Akane looked up at Ranma and back each   
other. They snorted in unison and quickly stood up and spoke   
together. "Gomen nasai, Papa-ousama!" 

"Oi, Vejiita! You looked like you were having a good time!"   
Goku called from the porch good-naturedly. 

Vejiita arched an eyebrow and glanced back at Goku, who   
waved with a smile. He crossed his arms and scowled deeply in his   
direction. "Mention one word of this to anyone and your ass is grass,   
Kakarotto. Double for you, spawn." 

Goku waved his arms in defeat. "Yosh, yosh! Your secret is   
safe with us, Vejiita." He winked at Gohan. 

Vejiita threw him another glare for good measure and turned   
to his sibling. "Are you ready, Seiika?" 

She nodded and flashed him the filled capsules. "Hai!   
Everything fit within the capsules just fine." 

Vejiita then turned to Goku and nodded. "We're leaving, then,   
Kakarotto." 

Goku nodded and turned to the assembled Humans and   
addressed Kasumi. "Arigato for your hospitality and great food,   
Kasumi-san. You cook as well as ChiChi does!" Gohan bowed and   
nodded in agreement. 

She smiled brightly and returned his bow. "It was a pleasure,   
Goku-san. It's nice to cook for someone who appreciates it." 

Ranma and Akane started to say their goodbyes. She gave   
her sisters, father and Nodoka a good sized hug. Genma was in   
panda form, courtesy of Soun's farewell tears, so she just waved. 

Ranma gave his mother a hug, and waved to the others.   
"Later, everyone!" He turned to Akane, who was still saying goodbye. 

But she was having a hard time letting go. Especially of   
Kasumi and Nabiki, who were starting to change color due to lack of   
oxygen. "Let go of them, Akane. They can't breathe! Plus, they   
won't be all that far away. They can come to visit, or we can. And   
there is always the phone." 

Akane finally released her sisters and sniffled loudly,   
throwing herself into Ranma's arms. "Hai, I know. But still..." 

Vejiita grunted and sniffled mockingly. "Are you ready to go,   
crybaby?" 

She threw her brother a baleful glare. "Shut up,   
Vejiita-baka." He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing in reply. 

Goku glanced up, an idea forming in his head. "Why don't I   
just teleport us back home? It would be a lot faster." 

Vejiita nodded. "For once, you have a decent idea,   
Kakarotto." 

Goku beamed brightly. "Arigato, Vejiita! That's twice you've   
complimented me today! I think that's a record for you." Vejiita   
scowled at the chuckles around him. 

Gohan looked doubtful at his father. "Will you be able to   
carry all of us, 'Tousan?" 

He shrugged carelessly. "I don't know, Gohan. I never tried.   
Why I don't I take you and Vejiita back first, and then Seiika and   
Serori?" Everyone nodded in agreement. "Alright, then. Vejiita,   
Gohan, hang on." Gohan happily wrapped his arms around his father's   
leg, and Vejiita reached out and touched Goku with the least amount   
of contact possible, all the while a look of absolute disgust lined his   
features. 

Goku waved goodbye to the Nerimians and with his fingers   
positioned on his forehead, flashed out of existence. 

Akane and Ranma turned back to their families to say their   
final good-byes. Akane smiled sadly at her loved ones. "Thank you,   
everyone, for understanding that we need to do this. That we need   
to train for this new threat that is headed for Chikyuu, and that we   
need to rediscover our Saiya-jiin heritage." 

Kasumi smiled sweetly at the mated pair. "Don't worry about   
anything, Akane-chan, or should I say, Seiika-oujosama?" Akane   
blushed and shrugged. "We completely understand. Just don't   
forget about us." She reached out and gave her sister one final hug.   
"Go on, now. Live your life as you should have." 

Ranma nodded and wrapped his tail around Akane's waist,   
pulling her tight to him. "Don't worry, Akane. We'll take care of the   
new enemy. We're the good guys." 

"And the good guys always win." Goku popped back in with a   
smile. "Ready? We'll be arriving right next to Bulma. She's in her   
lab." They nodded and with one last wave, said goodbye to Nerima as   
they slowly flickered out of sight. 

Goku and his passengers faded back into existence next to a   
surprised Bulma standing two feet away from their arrival spot.   
"Good Kami, Goku!" Bulma gasped with her hand on her chest,   
panting breathlessly. "Isn't there some way you can warn me when   
you do that?" 

Goku ran a hand through his hair and shrugged helplessly.   
"Gomen, Bulma. If I made noise, then it wouldn't be a very good   
technique. Or very effective." 

She knitted her eyebrows together in thought. "I guess not,   
then." She turned to Ranma and Akane with a big smile and a   
smudge of grit on her cheek. "Welcome to Capsule Corp., your new   
home! I need to clean up in here for a tiny bit, then I'll give you the   
grand tour of the facilities. You can wander around, but don't touch   
anything." She turned back to her worktable and shuffled through   
some papers and parts. 

Goku cleared his throat. "I'm gonna gather Gohan and head   
home, Bulma. Tell Vejiita I'll come back later to spar tonight or   
tomorrow and to use the new gravity room." 

Bulma absently nodded and waved him off. "Sure, Son-kun,   
whatever." Goku smiled and waved at the three of them and walked   
out of the lab. 

Ranma looked confusedly at Bulma, who was still rummaging   
through a pile of capsules on her table. "Gravity room? What's   
that?" 

Bulma made a noise of accomplishment and held up a green   
capsule. "Found it! Yatta!" She turned to Ranma and blinked a few   
times. "Gravity room? Oh, that's Vejiita's baby. It increases the   
gravity and pressure levels so he can train harder. It goes up to   
five hundred times Chikyuu's gravity level." She winked and   
motioned to them to follow her around as she wandered through the   
lab. "I have a feeling you'll get to know it very soon." 

Ranma's eyes bugged out of his head. Five hundred times?   
"Is that possible? Won't your bones get crushed into powder?" 

Bulma dug around in a cupboard for a few minutes and   
emerged with a handful of capsules. She placed them on a counter   
and brushed off her dirty and dusty overalls. She rolled her eyes   
and blew a wisp of hair out of her way. "That's why you train. So   
you don't get crushed into Saiya-jiin powder." She sighed heavily.   
"He's blown up several of them, already." She stopped by a room and   
entered, removing the soiled overalls. She emerged from the   
bathroom clean and in a purple tank top and jean shorts. Shewaved   
at the two young Saiya-jiin to follow her. "Let's get started with   
the tour, ne?" She led them through various halls, pointing out   
certain areas of interest and need. "I'll take you to the gravity room   
when we're done with the tour of the campus, and I've shown you   
your rooms. You can't miss it. It's a big silver ball in the backyard.   
He spends most of his time in the contraption, training for hours   
upon hours on end." 

After the whirlwind tour of the compound, Bulma stopped in   
front of a set of double oak doors. She opened them up and allowed   
them to step in first. "This is your two's suite. Vejiita and I have   
one in the East wing." 

To Ranma and Akane, who were used to the cozy, but cramped   
conditions of the Dojo, the suite was a complete turnaround. Three   
words crossed both of their minds: It Was Huge! The main room   
was a sitting room/den, decorated in muted blues and yellows.   
Several comfortable chairs and a couch made for a homey   
atmosphere, while an entertainment center to die for and drool over   
completely covered one wall. Modern art decorated the walls and   
corner tables. It had a very lived-in look that welcomed the new   
residents warmly. 

Bulma watched their astonished expressions with a hint of   
amusement and led them to another door. "In here's the bedroom."   
She opened it, and led them into the lavishly decorated room. 

Again, they were stunned by the largeness of it all, and the   
extravagance Bulma bestowed upon them. A large king sized bed   
graced a corner, and several dressers, tables and bureaus lined   
other walls and decorated corners. A set of flowing, flimsy curtains   
covered the open balcony doors to let in the warm breeze that   
wafted in. More tastefully-done art complimented the yellow and   
green color scheme. 

Bulma shook her head at the young mated pair and led them   
to another door. "Here's the bathroom. There's a shower, furo,   
scrubbing area, vanity, etc., in there." She winked at Akane. "The   
furo has a Jacuzzi option that I just adore." 

Akane walked around in circles, trying to find the words to   
describe her gratitude and everything else jumbled in her mind.   
"This is way too much, Bulma-san! We don't need this much room." 

The other female waved her hands, dismissing her protests.   
"Nah, this is exactly like mine, only with different color schemes.   
Do you like the decorations? I designed and decorated the rooms   
myself." Akane nodded her appreciation. "And please, just Bulma, or   
-chan, if you prefer. We are sister-in-laws, aren't we?" Bulma   
winked suggestively. 

Akane winked back and nodded. "I guess so. I hear   
congratulations are in order for you and my twin, as well." She   
nodded her head at the bruise that peeked out of Bulma's tank top. 

Bulma blushed a little and rubbed the spot affectionately. "I   
guess so. Anyway, why don't you get settled in, and I'll go tell Vejiita   
that you'll be down when you're done. All right?" She waved and left   
the suite. 

Akane turned to Ranma and saw he was peeking into the   
gigantic walk-in closet. "This place is huge! Bulma is certainly very   
generous." 

Ranma emerged from the closet and closed the double doors.   
"Yeah, I'll say. I think the closet is the same size as our rooms back   
at the Dojo." He went over to a chest of drawers and opened   
several, poking his nose throughout. He was surprised when he   
found them to be partially full. 

"Hey, Akane, look. There's something already in them!" He   
pulled out the articles of clothing. "Hey, these look like the outfit   
Vejiita-ouji had on earlier." He held up one of the black spandex   
suits to his body. It had a jagged stripe of blue down the left side.   
"Looks like this would fit me." 

Akane held up another purple and black bodysuit for a closer   
inspection. "These look like they fit snugly. Bulma is very generous." 

Ranma nodded and quickly undressed and slipped into the new   
training outfit. "Hey, this is actually really comfortable." He twisted   
a few times and did a partial kata. "You can move real well, too." 

Akane gave him a quick glance, but did a double take at how   
the suit molded to his body very well. The sight of him gave her   
tingles up and down her spine, before settling in her stomach   
and...lower regions. "It definitely looks good on you, Ranma-chan."   
She slid over to him and molded her body against his back. Her   
hands came around his waist to rub at his hard pectorals. "It shows   
off you 'assets' well." She pulled a hand back to pinch his posterior   
for emphasis. 

Ranma smirked and turned around in her embrace, coiling his   
tail around her thigh. He started to nibble on her neck, giving her   
more tingles that traveled from her head all the way down to the tip   
of her tail. She purred in his ear and flicked the outer rim with her   
tongue. "Ranma, for someone who used to run away at the thought   
of a kiss, you sure know how to turn a girl on..." Her purrs turned to   
moans when he started to massage the base of her tail, getting her   
aroused fast and furious. 

Ranma growled in her neck and moved lower, etching a path   
with his teeth and tongue down her shoulder blades. But their   
foreplay was, to their great disappointment, disrupted by a voice   
breaking into their session. 

"Seiika? Serori? It's Bulma. Listen, I forgot to mention a   
few things." 

Both Saiya-jiin groaned loudly in despair and disgust. "Just   
when things were getting good..." Ranma grumbled under his breath.   
He buried his face in the crook of Akane's neck and sucked on her   
Bonding mark, getting a loud moan from his mate. 

"First is the intercom and security system. It's the panel of   
buttons by the bathroom door. Press the blue button to respond, if   
you can hear me. I'll explain all the buttons in person; it'll be easier   
that way." 

Akane pushed out of Ranma's embrace reluctantly and   
plodded over to the panel of buttons on the wall. She gave Ranma a   
sultry look before she pushed on the button. "Hai, Bulma. We can   
hear you. You mean the button that says, 'Talk' on it?" 

Bulma laughed on the other end. "Hai!" 

"I think I figured that one out on my own. Thank you again   
for being so kind and generous, Bulma. We really appreciate it   
tremendously." 

"Don't mention it. Anything for family." Bulma paused and   
the mated pair heard a deep rumbling in the background. "Oh hush,   
Vejiita. Vejiita said to hurry up and get down here. To quote the   
monstrosity himself, 'Stop wasting precious training time.'" Bulma   
giggled again at the mumbling that had to be Vejiita. 

Akane grinned and chuckled. "Yosh, yosh. We'll be down soon   
enough. Tell Vejiita-chan to go meditate or something." 

A loud snort was heard in the background. Bulma giggled   
again. "He just rolled his eyes and stomped off. Anyway, I'll be   
heading back inside to finish my lab work. Did you find the outfits in   
the drawers? The black-base and blue ones are for Serori, and the   
black-base and purple ones are for you. Vejiita ordered that they   
needed to be purple for some reason--only Kami-sama knows. He   
wears navy blue with black. Anyway, the new gravity room is set up,   
ready and waiting to be blown up once more." She sighed loudly. "I   
really need to invent a Saiya-jiin proof metal. It really would come   
in handy around here." 

Akane smiled to herself. "Well, it keeps you busy, ne? All   
right, I'll start unpacking and be done soon, I hope. Ja." Akane   
switched off the intercom. 

"Take your time. Vejiita can just hold his horses." 

Akane turned toward the empty room and sighed. She   
reached into her pocket and withdrew the two full capsules and   
activated them in the center of the room. They exploded in their   
customary cloud of smoke, and once that cleared, Akane and Ranma   
were greeted by the piles upon piles of belongings that were   
contained within. 

Ranma shook his head. "Did you really need to bring the   
whole house with you, Akane? My goodness." 

Akane elbowed him in the ribs and scowled, kneeling in front   
of the first pile and began to sort through it. "Oh, hush, you. Some   
of it is yours, too. And I didn't know what we'd need here." 

Ranma knelt behind her and wrapped his arms and tail around   
her in a tight embrace. "Love you." He murmured into her ear. 

She leaned back and reclined her head on his chest, reaching   
out to take his chin in her mouth. "Love you, too." They sat there   
for several minutes, just basking in each other's presence. Akane,   
though, was the first to break the moment. 

'Ranma?" 

He rustled his nose through her hair and emerged   
heavy-lidded. "Nani, Hima-chan?" 

Akane smiled slightly at the endearment and turned around in   
his embrace so she was face to face with him. She studied his   
features, bringing a hand up to trace his cheekbones, stroking his   
face with gentle fingers. He smiled softly down at her and captured   
her hand to lay light feathery kisses on the palm. Akane sighed   
dreamily and sank her head into his chest, wrapping her arms around   
him in a tight embrace. He rested his chin on her head and stroked   
her hair with a free hand. 

"If we were still on Vejiita-sei, we'd never have been able to   
get this close." 

Ranma nodded. "I know. Also, I would've had several purging   
missions notched on my belt. And more than likely, we'd have   
spawned several brats, since we mated so early." 

Akane frowned slightly. "But we'd also be a lot older--Vejiita   
still hasn't told us why we're younger than him, and how he knew   
about us being on Chikyuu. If he knew, why didn't he come see me   
earlier? Was he ashamed of having a weakling for a sister?" 

"You aren't a weakling, Akane." Ranma shook his head firmly,   
frowning back at her. "If we were still on Vejiita-sei, or trained as   
extensively as Vejiita-ouji did, you would be an infinitely better   
fighter than you are now. Look at what you can do. You have the   
ability to go Super Saiya-jiin. Just think of the strength and power   
and potential you hold within you. Just think of what you'd be if you   
went through the same regimen. Goku-san is the only other one that   
can make the jump, although I think Vejiita is at the breaking point.   
Your father, well," he blinked and blushed a little, taking notice of   
the small frown on Akane's face at the mention of the discrepency.   
He quickly reworded his thought. "Tendo-san only gave you a means   
of venting your anger, and did nothing more to further your training   
than to show you the bare basics. Hell, Oyaji did the best he could   
with me, on the road, and I still am nothing compared to Vejiita and   
Goku. And I thought I was the best. The Humans never had the   
bloodlust that flows through our veins, so they never had to create a   
way to control it." 

Akane nodded her head in agreement. "I guess so. Life would   
definitely been different, if Friezer wasn't in the picture all that   
time ago." She turned to the piles of belongings still untouched and   
let out a huge sigh of despair. "Why don't you go keep Vejiita-chan   
busy, and I'll organize this disaster, ne?" 

Ranma leaned forward and nipped Akane on the nose. "Hai."   
He stood up and went to the balcony doors. He threw her a smile   
over his shoulder and jumped off the outcropping, and out of sight. 

Akane sighed once again and glared at the mountainous piles   
of...stuff. "Why can't Bulma invent a capsule that'll put away   
everything, too?" She began to sort through the piles and was   
surprised when two bots entered the room. 

"Seiika-chan, there should be two cleaning bots headed your   
way. I sent them up there to help you unpack. Just tell them what   
to do--they respond to voice commands, and have detailed optical   
sensors." Bulma's voice wafted in just in the nick of time. 

Akane smiled wide and ran up to the intercom. "You're a   
lifesaver, Bulma-chan! They're just what I needed. Arigato!" 

End of Arc One: Enough Saiya-jiin to Shake a Tail At!   
(phowahcs.com)   



	13. ARC 2: The Search for the Golden Super ...

A Tail To Remember   
Chapter 12   
Arc Two: The Hunt For The Golden Super Saiya-jiin   
************   


~Chikyuu, Capsule Corp, Night-time~ 

He was bored. 

Bored. 

Bored. 

Bored. 

Vejiita wandered the darkened hallways of Capsule Corp, his   
mind occupied only by his state of boredom. 

The gravity chamber was broken, again, so he couldn't train. 

Only this time it wasn't his fault. Some 'gravitational generator coil'   
or weird sounding doo-hicky was faulty, and wouldn't be repaired for   
a day or so. He smirked at the guilty look on the Onna's face when   
she found out it was actually _HER_ fault this time, and not his. 

Speaking of his ornery Onna, Bulma was the reason he was up   
and wandering restlessly around his home. She had woken him up to   
tell him she had to go to one of Capsule Corp's offices in the Capital,   
and wouldn't be back until early in the morning. Something about a   
national takeover or some emergency boring business deal on the   
opposote side of Chikyuu that had to be done. So, that meant she   
wasn't able to occupy his attentions. And, he hated to admit it, but   
he had gotten used to her warm and comforting presence in his arms   
in their bedroom at night. So he was unable to sleep. He tried, but   
his tossing and turning was accomplishing nothing, except for making   
a mess out of the bed. 

As he wandered the twisting corridors that consisted of his   
home, he thought of other residents of the gigantic building. The   
Onna's parents were gone, once more, on some inane vacation. They   
had officially handed over the company to Bulma, so they were   
taking full advantage of their 'retirement,' or something. He really   
didn't care where they were. Only thing he cared about was that   
they were out of his hair. 

Serori and Seiika were in their quarters, more than likely   
sleeping at this hour. They had been training intensely this past   
week, trying to bring their skills up to par as fast and as efficiently   
as possible. Kakarotto, his brat, and the hairless thing they called a   
friend practically had been living over here, training with the two   
younger Saiya-jiin as much as possible. They happened to have gone   
to their respective homes for the night, since the gravity chamber   
was out of service. 

He smiled, truly smiled, at the progress both Serori and   
Seiika had accomplished within the past few days. Both of them   
have increased their power levels by leaps and bounds; especially   
Serori. He'd shown tremendous promise before they started   
training, and Vejiita was not disappointed. He had picked up on the   
new attacks that Kakarotto, the bald creature, and he had shown   
him, almost perfecting them within the same day. And Serori had   
shown them how to do that ki tornado that he'd demonstrated on   
the first day they sparred. Vejiita didn't find it to be all that   
useful, but the bald creature certainly took to it fast, and made it   
one of his own attacks. 

Seiika was a different story. Her training was woefully   
underdeveloped; she had been taught the very base of the core   
basics and concepts, but wasn't pushed to her limits, unlike Serori   
sometimes had been. He had mentioned in passing a few of the   
training exercises that his 'Oyaji' had put him through. They   
sounded rather interesting, but he wouldn't have wanted to go   
through such things if he didn't have his Saiya-jiin instincts and   
training to back him up. 

Pit of cats, indeed. 

He had shown an extreme weakness around the feline species,   
almost completely losing it when he saw that infernal shadow Bulma's   
otousan called a cat, perched on his shoulder. Seiika had been there   
to take his mind off the small creature and to calm him down. She   
told him what Serori was capable of when he entered the state of   
insanity called the 'neko-ken,' and Vejiita had wanted to see it in   
action. But Seiika gave him a dirty look, and cut off any further   
discussion of the subject. It must not be a pleasant subject to   
discuss around Serori. Although, Bulma's otousan and okaasan heard   
Seiika describe some of the details of the feared 'Neko-ken.' 

Needless to say, and Vejiita smirked to himself, it was the   
main motivating factor for their impromptu 'vacation.' 

But Seiika, though, was a fast learner, despite her human   
training, or lack of training. Her faded and sketchy memories of the   
short period of training she received back on Vejiita-sei had helped   
her tremendously. It had taken her awhile to get the hang of using   
ki, but Serori was good at explaining things to her, when she didn't   
understand certain concepts, or didn't know how to apply them to   
her own skills. Although, Vejiita realized that she still had far to   
go; still, she was getting better. She had already surpassed   
Kakarotto's brat's skills, and was using the bald creature as a   
sparring partner. 

And when she was in her Super Saiya-jiin state, she was   
phenomenal. Vejiita didn't have her train much transformed;   
although she could switch to Super Saiya-jiin with a thought, now.   
It came to her as naturally as powering up. She didn't need Serori   
anymore to goad her into a fit of anger. He told her the stronger   
she was untransformed, the infinitely more powerful she'd be in her   
Golden state. She had agreed readily, and took to the training that   
both he and Kakarotto threw at her with grace, and determination.   
No matter what they made her do, or receive in the name of   
'training,' she did not complain or whine. She growled readily, but   
did not resist the punishment handed to her. 

Her ki abilities had improved by leaps and bounds as well.   
She could now use her ki for more than creating an aura and flying.   
She had a ki attack of her very own, and could perform some of the   
Z Senshi's easier originals. 

All in all, he was very proud of his futago and her mate. 

But that still didn't mean he wasn't bored out of his mind. 

His wanderings found him in the kitchen, one of his favorite   
rooms of the entire Capsule Corp. Maybe eating something would   
occupy his time until he once again tried to sleep the seemingly   
endless night away. 

He entered the darkened kitchen expecting to finish off that   
large hidden leg of roast bird that he saw Serori sneak away and   
stash in the refrigerator. 

Only to encounter a lazily waving tail protruding from a   
cupboard. 

Vejiita raised an eyebrow in amusement. Seiika had not yet   
acknowledged his presence, so he decided to wait and see what she   
was up to, this late at night. They had trained very hard today, and   
both she and Serori retired early to their suite--he had felt their   
mating activities, but that was nothing new, or unexpected. He and   
Bulma mated as much as they did. He silently sat down on a stool   
and awaited her undivided attention. 

She emerged within minutes, with an armful of meats, bread,   
and assorted other items. Sandwich fixings if he ever saw them.   
His mouth began to water and drool slightly at the thought of a   
thick and meaty sandwich. But his thoughts came to a halt when he   
saw something that made his uplifted spirits sink fast. 

Seiika had in her mouth the aforementioned bird leg, that he   
thought still rested within the meat cooler of a refrigerator,   
dangling from her mouth, completely stripped clean of all its meat. 

She caught sight of her twin and raised an eyebrow at the   
pained expression that flashed across his face. "Nani yo,   
Vejiita-chan? What are you doing up?" She dumped her armful of   
foodstuffs on the counter. 

Vejiita sighed loudly and indicated to the bone in her mouth.   
"I was going to eat that, Seiika." 

She took it out and glanced at it before she tossed it away.   
"How did you know it was there? I asked Ranma to save it for me   
for later." She glanced him accusingly as she started to put   
together the makings of several large sandwiches. "You didn't want   
to eat my snack now, did you, Vejiita?" 

Vejiita gave her a mock-surprised look. "Me? Never! The   
thought never crossed my mind." He reached over to help himself to   
one of her sandwiches, but was halted mid-grab by a stinging slap of   
the butter knife to his knuckles. 

He pulled his hand back abruptly and nursed his slightly   
throbbing knuckles. "Nani?" He added speed, and reaction time, to   
the list of her improvements. He was surprised such a weak   
instrument could cause him pain. 

Akane continued to calmly prepare her snack. "Ask first."   
He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "The Saiya-jiin   
no Ouji does not have to ask for anything." 

"Well, the Saiya-jiin no Oujo doesn't make sandwiches for a   
Saiya-jiin no Ouji that doesn't ask politely first. Or did you forget   
all of the manners-training that Biiery-sensei taught us?" She   
smiled slightly and raised an eyebrow when she heard his stomach   
growl. 

"I need to hear it from your mouth, not your stomach,   
Vejiita-chan." 

The Prince scowled darkly and turned his attention away from   
Akane, focusing on a convenient newspaper, and buried his nose   
within its inked pages. 

Akane finished preparing the sandwiches and sat down on a   
stool next to her brother. She picked up one and started to eat,   
exaggerating her chewing noises and adding comments on the side,   
trying to rile the stubborn Prince. 

(munch munch) "Boy, are these good!" 

"Mmm, hmm! This really hits the spot!" 

(smack) "Wow, this bread is so moist!" 

(sigh) "How can this meat be so tender and juicy?" 

Vejiita visibly ignored her, but his stomach told a different   
story. After a particularly loud rumble, he calmly folded the paper   
and set it aside. He swallowed and sighed. "Would you please share   
your food with me?" 

Akane grinned wide at the pained look on his face. She knew   
it took a lot of pride-swallowing for him just to ask, and she decided   
to reward him. "Hai, Vejiita-chan, I would be happy to share my   
food with you." She pulled another plate out from under hers and   
placed half of the stack upon it and set it in front of Vejiita. "Here   
you are, Vejiita." 

He nodded his thanks and proceeded to inhale the food within   
thirty seconds, flat. 

Akane just smiled and continued to calmly eat her own   
sandwiches at her own pace. 

When he was done, he reached for a napkin and wiped his   
face and fingers clean. "Domo arigato, Seiika-chan. They were   
satisfying. I don't know why Serori teases you about your cooking   
abilities." 

Akane frowned slightly. "Well, I didn't really cook anything.   
I just slapped some meat and cheese in between two pieces of   
bread. I have made some disasters in the kitchen at times." She   
admitted reluctantly and sighed. "Ranma has gotten quite ill from   
them. I tried really hard, but it just seemed to always turn out   
wrong." 

He just shrugged his shoulders. "You were never meant to   
cook. That's what servants are for. Or you ate raw." A faraway   
look crossed the Prince's face. "Remember that adult male yakuuti   
we brought down for our First Rites?" 

She nodded, smiling at the memory. "I remember it well,   
especially when the thing scared me half to death when it bounded   
out of the brush and stepped on my tail." She rubbed the tip in   
rememberance. "Although it did taste very good when we ate it that   
night." 

Vejiita nodded in agreement. "That animal was four or five   
times our size. The King was impressed that we brought it down   
without any ki attacks." 

"Hai, Papa was very proud." 

They sat together in silence, remembering days long extinct.   
Vejiita finally broke it, with a question. "Would you like to go   
hunting with me again, Seiika-chan?" 

Akane blinked a few times, in surprise. "Nani? Well, I   
haven't done that since...forever, I guess. Not since Vejiita-sei. I   
don't know if I would be of any use." She shrugged her shoulders   
helplessly. 

He dismissed her protests with a snort. "You would do fine.   
Hunting is part of your instincts--it doesn't go away with disuse."   
He furrowed his eyebrows and stared into her eyes. "They may have   
been blocked for a time, but they still exist." 

Akane smiled and nodded. "Hai, that sounds like fun." She   
furrowed her own eyebrows and returned his stare. "But I have a   
question, Vejiita. It's been bugging me for awhile, and you brought   
up a point that reminded me of it." 

He looked slightly interested. "Nani? What do you want to   
know?" 

Her face became serious. "How did you know mine and   
Ranma's memories were blocked? How long did you know I existed   
on Chikyuu?" 

Vejiita blinked--he wasn't expecting those questions to arrive   
out of the blue. "Well, the night that the Namek-seijiin called us up   
to his home to tell us of the new enemy, he also told me about your   
surviving Friezer, and your arrival on Chikyuu." 

"Honto?" He nodded. "So you only found out the night   
before?" 

"Hai. If I had known earlier, I would have searched you out   
immediately, even if you weren't awakened to your memories of me   
and our past." 

She turned away from his intense gaze and lowered her eyes   
to the table, fiddling with her sandwich plate in nervousness. "So it   
wasn't because you were ashamed of me? Because I am weak?" 

He looked surprised at her thought. He reached out and   
gently turned her towards him once more, lifting her chin to look   
into her face. He saw her shame clearly written upon the delicate   
features. He shook his head roughly. "Iie, Seiika-chan. I would   
never be ashamed of you. You are not weak. You are the Saiya-jiin   
no Oujo, Crown Princess of Vejiita-sei, Heir to the Saiya-jiin Empire.   
You are my futago, my oneechan," he smiled slightly, "if only by a   
few minutes." 

She smiled and brushed her fingers across his forehead.   
"That's another thing, too, ototochan." She smiled wider at the roll   
of his eyes. "How come you are so much older than me and Ranma,   
now? He was, what, almost six months older than the two of us?   
And you now are how old?" 

"I'm thirty-one, plus I spent four years in cryo-stasis on one   
mission for Friezer." 

Akane looked confused. "Thirty-five years? Honto?" Vejiita   
nodded slightly. Akane shook her head, amazed at the new   
information. "We arrived on Chikyuu only sixteen years ago. We   
were, what, four when we blasted off Vejiita-sei, and now we're   
considered eighteen. How long of a trip was it from Vejiita-sei to   
Chikyuu?" 

Vejiita thought for a moment. "It would have taken just over   
a Chikyuu year to reach here at full power and speed in the pod you   
arrived in." 

"So why are you so much older? Unless...you said   
cryo-stasis?" 

Vejiita nodded. "On the night we were told about you, the   
Namek-seijiin took us back in time to witness your first night on   
Chikyuu." He saw her alarmed look and shook his head. "Iie, we   
weren't seen by anyone. The Namek-seijiin made us invisible to the   
world. Your pod had been damaged--most likely by Friezer's scout   
ship that we thought destroyed it--and the computer said you were   
in cryo-stasis. So you slept for seventeen years, or so, in stasis." 

She nodded, things finally falling into place. "That makes   
sense. The pod must have been really damaged for it to take so long.   
Still, I wonder, why Chikyuu?" 

Vejiita shrugged. "Who knows? I wasn't told where you were   
originally sent, in case Friezer tried to pry the information out of   
me. And it didn't matter once we saw the explosion. The King   
declared you and Serori dead." His face became solemn and drained.   
"I really believed you died because I could feel both your and   
Serori's presence, your ki, still in the back of my mind, and after the   
explosion, it wasn't there anymore." 

He sighed and looked into his chest, not wanting to meet her   
eyes. His voice was so low, she had to strain her ears to understand   
what he was saying. "It felt like part of me was ripped directly   
from my soul. And it hurt. Oh Kami, did it hurt..." 

Akane smiled softly, her aching heart mirrored the   
barely-concealed emotions on his face. She stood, and climbed onto   
her twin's lap, straddling his waist. She wrapped her arms around   
his neck, and hugged him close, bringing his head down to rest on her   
chest. "It's alright, Vejiita-chan." She gently stroked his hair,   
feeling him shake slightly as the pent-up emotions finally released   
themselves into her pajamas. "I'm here, now. And I won't go away   
again. I promise." She felt him nod slightly, and he wrapped his   
arms around her waist tightly, entwining his tail around her own as a   
child would with a parent. She buried her face within his forest of   
hair and released her own withheld anguish. They sat there for   
several minutes, in the still of the night, not saying anything; not   
needing to--the other's presence was enough for now. 

Soon, Akane remerged from Vejiita's hair, and Vejiita sat up   
slightly. She ran her fingers through his hair and brushed her lips   
across the nobby ridge in between his eyebrows. She rubbed noses   
with him and smiled. "So, do you want to go now?" 

Vejiita blinked at her question and sat up even farther.   
"Nani? Go now? Where?" 

Akane removed herself from his embrace to stand up and   
place the dirty plates in the sink to be cleaned later. "Hunting, of   
course. It sounds like fun!" She waggled a finger at him in   
reproach. "Or have you forgotten, already?" 

He shook his head. "Iie. You just ate. Are you still hungry?" 

Akane rubbed her stomach, thinking. "Well, I'm not starving,   
but some raw meat actually sounds really good right now. Let me go   
get changed, and I'll meet you outside." 

"What about Serori?" 

Akane shrugged. "What about him? He's zonked out to the   
world." She winked at him suggestively. "Besides, I wore him out   
earlier. This is our fun." He nodded and watched as she flew to the   
rooms she shared with her sleeping, and supposedly satisfied, mate. 

Vejiita felt a rare excitement buliding up in his stomach and   
veins. He hadn't been hunting in quite a while, and forever with his   
sister. They used to hunt the game on Vejiita-sei all the time, and   
were very skilled. Everyone knew how good of a hunting pair they   
made, and at such a young age, too. That's why they had their First   
Rites at age three. Why should they have to wait until they were   
older to come into their titles, when they could claim them at such a   
young age? It was just another sign for the prophets and the   
Saiya-jiin of Vejiita-sei that he and Seiika were the Prophecized   
Ones. He left the confines of Capsule Corp with a rare look of   
anticipation written across his finely chiseled features. 

He met up with Akane, who was just closing the balcony doors   
to her suite. She had on her black and purple training suit and her   
tail curled tightly around her waist. "Ready, Seiika?" 

She nodded and launched off the balcony and into the sky.   
"You bet. I'm really looking forward to this!" She smiled wide. "I   
think I'm starting to crave raw meat. My mouth is watering at the   
thought!" 

Vejiita smirked and pointed in a random direction. "Let's   
start off that way. There is usually some big game in that neck of   
the woods, and it is far away from civilization." 

Akane nodded, and smiled to herself that Vejiita had taken   
the time and consideration to think of the Humans on the planet.   
She watched as her beloved brother launched off the ground and   
into the air. She followed directly behind. 

******** 

~Chikyuu, A Clearing in a Forest, Night~ 

Wild animals scattered helplessly as four large spherical   
objects landed in a clearing soundlessly. The circular pods were a   
metallic silver, with several flashing lights surrounding the outer   
hulls. The lights stopped blinking altogether as the pods began to   
power down with a hiss. The pods opened their hatches one-by-one,   
and the five occupants filed out, one-by-one, so that twenty   
creatures stood in four rows of five. At first glance they looked   
quite similiar to giant bees. The Drones were black with thin white   
stripes that ran horizontally around their bodies. A silver disc was   
attached to the set of the Drone's thin forearms, while another two   
sets of tapered legs supported the elongated body and walked upon   
the ground. The pincers that constitiuted as hands were at rest.   
The large, round, multi-faceted eyes took in the surroundings as the   
four antennae bobbed up and down, and rotated from side-to-side as   
they made quiet clicking and humming noises within their ranks,   
communicating their orders to each other. The Hachi Drones   
unfurled their four thin, membrane-like wings and left the clearing   
in pairs, leaving one pair behind, to guard the ships. They took to   
the air to preform their assigned duties. 

To search out Humanoid life and assimiliate it into its own. 

For these Scout Drones were just the Beginning of the   
attack on Chikyuu. 

******** 

~Chikyuu, Clearing on the Opposite Side of the Forest, Night~ 

A puff of smoke was the only sound that was made when the   
capsule returned to its original form. Only the local animals that   
chose to see what the commotion was about, saw the two figures   
leave the sight at a rather brisk pace. They ran side by side, taking   
in the scenery and sights as they traveled. 

The taller of the two spoke. "Are you sure you got it right?" 

The shorter of the two nodded impatiently. "Hai, Hai. Stop   
worrying. We'll get there in time." 

"But what if we miscalculated?" The features of the tall male   
screwed up in anxiety. "What if we're too early, or too late?" 

"Then we are too early or too late. But we aren't. Or won't   
be. I thought you had faith in me. 'Kaasan did." The shorter of the   
two's eyes flashed with barely-concealed pain, but his expression did   
not change. 

The tall one swallowed nervously. "Hai, I do. I just wish we   
were absolutely positive. I'd rather be too early, than too late." 

"Hai. I understand. So do I. But the calculations were   
checked, double-checked, and then checked three more times for   
good measure." He smirked at his companion as they ran along.   
"Don't worry. You'll die before you're old enough to live, if you   
continue down that path." 

The tall one's smirk mirrored the shorter one. "Honto?   
Where have I heard that before?" 

"Ojisan said it everyday to you for the past five years." 

"Honto? So I really don't think I need to hear it again." 

"Then stop worrying." 

The two forms continued through the woods, an almost deadly   
intent driving them to arrive at their destination at the correct   
time. 

********** 

Akane slowly flew close to the ground, keeping a sharp eye   
open for any signs of catchable game. She knew Vejiita was a few   
yards away, down another path, doing the same thing she was. Out   
of the corner of her eye she saw him land and crouch behind a clump   
of bushes, gaze intent on a clearing farther away. 

She turned around and noiselessly crept up next to him,   
trying to spot the reason he stopped. The waning moon gave them   
enough light to see clearly by, thanks to their naturally enhanced   
eyesight. Vejiita acknowledged her with a slight nod, and pointing to   
a clump of trees several yards ahead of him, he muttered so only   
she could hear. "Buck. Big." 

Akane squinted in the direction he pointed and saw   
nothing--until it shifted. Her eyes widened at the twelve-point buck   
that was just barely visible in the grove of trees. If she still had   
her human eyesight, he would have passed her gaze unnoticed. She   
silently thanked Kami that Vejiita's senses were more alert than   
hers. 

Vejiita pointed to the right and Akane nodded, moving herself   
into a new position behind the buck, downwind, effectively   
surrounding it. He waited until she was settled and the buck was   
still once more. It had moved a few steps to the left and seemed a   
tad skitterish, but it returned to its resting position within the   
protective clump of trees. 

He signaled to Akane, and they both slowly moved forward,   
making their circle smaller and smaller, until they were almost right   
upon the creature. He could smell the deer's musk, and the smell   
inflamed his nostrils, making his blood run hot with the thrill of the   
hunt. He glanced over to his sister and saw the exact same emotions   
running over her face. He grinned wickedly and nodded, giving Akane   
the signal to pounce. 

But before they could actually attack, the buck suddenly shot   
out of protective cover and ran deeper into the woods, startling   
Akane, for the buck decided to use her as a pathway in its   
pre-emptive flight. 

Vejiita spat out a curse and bolted after the buck, Akane   
right behind him, still a tad shocked from their intended quarry's   
mad dash. They quickly caught up to the deer and Vejiita jumped,   
tackling its hind legs with his arms and upper body. The deer cried   
out, falling to the ground. Akane grabbed it around its neck, and   
with a swift twist, broke the animal's neck and ended the Hunt. 

Both Saiya-jiin panted, more from the excitement and rush   
of the hunt, than from tiredness. 

Akane grinned and held the animal's head in her lap. "Yatta!   
That was a rush! Sugoi! I thought we lost him when he bolted." 

Vejiita nodded, crouching over the animal. He ran a hand over   
the hide, exmining it for any signs of disease. "So did I. I wonder   
what set it off, running. It wasn't us." He reached behind him and   
pulled out a very large and very sharp knife from sub-space, and   
opened the stomach to disembowel their catch. "Make a hole so we   
can bury the entrails." 

Akane nodded and, using her ki, created a small crater in   
which to dump the unwanted parts of the deer so it would be easier   
to carry home. "I didn't think it was us that spooked him. Although,   
I was the one spooked when he ran over me. It was First Rites all   
over again." 

Vejiita smirked as he carried the unwanted parts of the deer   
over to the hole, and using his own ki, recovered it. "Your guard was   
down. You were too confident in the kill." He gave her an appraising   
look. "Although I thought I'd have to be the one to make the   
finishing blow. I didn't know if you'd be up to it." 

Akane looked offended at his remark. "I'm glad you have so   
much confidence in me, Vejiita-chan. You shouldn't stroke my ego so   
much." She blew a raspberry at his rolled-eyes reaction. Her mood   
abruptly changed; she looked around, staring into the darkness, a   
frown gracing her features. 

Vejiita looked up at her scowl and scowled himself. "What's   
wrong?" 

She held up her hand to silence him. "Do you feel that?" Her   
eyes darted around her, her head swiveling in all directions, trying   
to pinpoint her reaction. 

Vejiita mimicked her, trying to find what she felt. What now   
he felt. He stopped swiveling, narrowed his eyes and pointed in a   
direction. "Over there. It's coming from over there." 

Akane came up to her brother's side. "What is it? It feels   
very ominous." 

He shook his head. "I don't know." He grabbed the deer and   
placed it high into a tree and marked the trunk with a very small ki   
blast. "But I'm going to find out." 

"Do you think it's what scared the deer?" Akane suggested. 

Vejiita shrugged his shoulders and launched himself into the   
air. "Maybe. Let's go find out." Akane nodded and jumped after her   
brother. 

*** 

After a few miles of flying, Akane and Vejiita touched down   
in a bare patch of woods. They stood there silently, trying to feel   
the presence they felt a while ago, and now no longer could detect. 

"Is it gone? Is that why I can't feel it any more?" Akane   
scowled at the surounding area, her questions going unanswered by   
the lush vegetation. 

Vejiita matched her scowl with one of his own. "I don't   
understand. It came from this direction." 

She sighed, disgusted by their wild-goose chase. "Let's go   
back to where we left the deer. Maybe we'll pick it up again."   
Vejiita nodded, and they launched once again into the air. When   
they arrived back at the original site, there was no trace of the   
strange feeling they felt before. Vejiita retrieved their kill and   
headed for home. 

But they did not get far when their senses were assualted by   
that feeling again. It was very strong; almost seemed like they were   
on top of it. Both Saiya-jiin landed immediately and spread out,   
trying to find the source of the distress to their senses. 

Akane was the one to break through into the overgrown   
clearing. She cried out, bringing Vejiita to her side immediately. He   
swore out loud and slowly advanced to examine the four space pods.   
There were no creatures in sight, forest or otherwise, and the air   
surrounding the spheres was very still. 

"Do you recognize the ships, Vejiita? That's what they are,   
spaceships?" Akane called out, emerging farther out into the   
clearing. 

He nodded. "Hai, I believe they are, but I do not recognize   
them. They are not Friezer's pods, nor Saiya-jiin. I have seen   
similar ones, but this is a basic design. There are lots of races that   
have the capability for space travel, and have designed their ships in   
this manner." 

Akane walked up to the nearest pod and ran her hand along   
the surface of the silver metal. "What do you think arrived in   
them?" 

He shook his head and backed away from the pods. "I don't   
know. Another question we should be asking is where are the   
creatures that arrived in them?" 

Akane widened her eyes at the errant thought and quickly   
backed away from the pod. She turned around slowly, searching the   
undergrowth for any signs of the new visitors. Even though she   
didn't know what she was looking for. She inched her way over to   
her twin. "Do you see anything, or anyone?" 

Vejiita shook his head. "Iie. I don't think they are here   
anymore." He pointed to the ground. "There may be quite a few of   
them, or they paced around for some time." The ground was literally   
covered in four-toed prints. He bent down and studied the tracks.   
"They're still fresh." He stood up and scanned the surrounding area.   
"They should be still close." Akane grunted in acknowledgment and   
darted her eyes around the area as well, looking for the unknown   
invaders. 

In her sweep of the area, Akane did not notice that she was   
backing up into one of the silver pods, until she literally ran into it.   
A loud beeping immediately started to sound. 

Akane jumped back drastically, eyes wildly darting. Her aura   
flared bright instinctively. "What's going on?" Vejiita moved in   
front of his sister, his aura matching hers in intensity. 

On one of the pods, a hatch opened. The two remaining   
Drones slowly emerged and scanned the area, looking for the   
Humanoid creature that one of the four pod's outside sensors'   
detected. Their sweep detected and discovered two: Vejiita and   
Akane. They walked down the plank and stopping to touch some   
buttons on one the side of the pod, retracted the bridge and   
started a small red light to pulse. 

Vejiita called out roughly to them. "Who are you? What are   
you? What is your business on this planet?" The two Drones said   
nothing, but turned toward the Saiya-jiin and began to advance. Vejiita   
started to become angry. "Bakayaro! Tell me what you want here! Or   
I'll destroy you!" They continued to say nothing, and moved closer. 

Vejiita swore and shot a relatively small ki blast at the closer   
of the two drones. Drone One raised its arm and Vejiita's shot went   
into the silver disc attached to the arm. It immediately flashed   
white, and the Drone aimed the disc at Vejiita, releasing the ki right   
back to its owner. 

He dodged it effortlessly and Akane gasped aloud. "It   
absorbed your ki! That disc absorbed your ki and shot it right back   
to you!" She looked closer at the Drones. "Vejiita, look! It's black   
and white-striped!" 

Vejiita grunted as he ducked another of his returned ki   
shots. "I can see that, Seiika. This must be the new enemy that   
appeared in the Onna's dream." He tried shooting several blasts   
rapidly, but they were all immediately caught and sent back to their   
owner, and his partner. "They seem to be the same intensity as   
what you shoot at them--they're not adding their own ki." 

Akane and Vejiita jumped around, trying to avoid the   
returned ki, and trying to get an effective shot in. Vejiita growled   
when one struck him in the leg. "If I knew I was going to fight, then   
I'd have worn armour." 

Akane ducked a returned shot and sent one of her own. It   
actually hit the target, and caused some slight damage. "We have to   
team up. They can be damaged. But they're so fast." She dodged   
another shot and tried to get in another hit. 

Vejiita grunted, powering up. "Honto? You attack, draw its   
fire. I'll try to get its blind side." Akane nodded, powered up, and   
threw a volley of ki blasts that would have made any sensei proud, in   
different circumstances. This accomplished the task and distracted   
both Drones; they naturally absorbed them and returned fire upon   
Akane. 

Vejiita crept around to the opposite side and when they were   
busy obsorbing Akane's attacks, he let loose one of his own. 

"Big Bang Attack!" The strong ki blast was directed at the   
backs of both Drones. 

The two-pronged attack worked. Vejiita's blast managed to   
catch them unguarded, and to his slight satisfaction, melted off   
their wings and left giant scorch marks on their backs. 

Both Drones let out ear-piercing shrieks, the first sound   
heard from them, and both turned toward Vejiita, moving as fast as   
they could go. Drone One's antennae started to glow green, and with   
another shriek, launched a green beam at the hovering Saiya-jiin. 

The wide beam washed over the surprised Vejiita, effectively   
immobilizing him, and sending him crashing to the ground. 

"Shimatta! I can't move!" Vejiita stuggled in vain to break   
free of the paralyzing beam, only sucessfully moving a few inches. 

The unoccupied Drone Two quickly moved over to the frozen   
Vejiita, and removed one of the silver ki-capturing discs from its   
forearms. It placed it upon Vejiita's chest, and pressing the darker   
grey button in the center, released metallic arms that latched it   
onto his chest. Vejiita screamed in agony, his aura flaring bright. 

Akane screamed right back at him. "Vejiita!" She   
immediately flared into Super Saiya-jiin and launched a huge   
barrage of gigantic ki blasts. Both Drones turned in her direction   
and effortlessly captured her ki and directed it back to her. Lucky   
for the Saiya-jiin present, by distracting the Drones, this succeeded   
in releasing Vejiita from the paralysis beam. 

Akane vainly tried to avoid her own ki that was being directed   
back at her, while attempting to still hit the Drones with others.   
She was only partially successful. She did manage to avoid her first   
round of ki, but was directly hit by the second. Akane screamed in   
pain, and fell to the ground. 

Vejiita sat up when he felt he was able to move. He had just   
stood up and shaken off the last effects of the paralysis beam when   
he saw Akane get hit with her own ki attacks and fall screaming to   
the ground. "Seiika!!!" Vejiita screamed and his aura burst bright.   
He blindly shot off a round of ki at the two Drones, and felt them   
return it to him, but he paid it no mind. He directed his ki at the   
two Drones, hoping to distract them long enough to get a lucky shot   
in as made his way over to his downed sister. He avoided all of the   
return ki and when he they had no more to throw, he knelt next to   
Akane, checking her vital signs. She was out, unconscious, but still   
alive. Barely. She'd never been hit really hard by such a large   
amount of ki, and the shots that she sent, and therefore took, were   
bigger than she ever thrown or shown before. 

Vejiita turned toward the two Drones; they were silent as   
they advanced. One of them was glowing green. He knew what was   
coming next. His anger and anguish at not protecting his sister   
clouded his mind, making rational thought imposssible. He felt   
something snap inside him--as if the last twig restraining the large   
pile of driftwood snapped. "Kusotare! You will pay for hurting   
Seiika-chan!" He powered up, and up; higher than he ever gone   
before. And the dam broke. 

And then he felt it. 

What he always strived for, and what he never attained. 

Super. 

Super Saiya-jiin. 

Super Sayia-jiin was his. 

_ Finally._

When he felt the trememdous tsunami of power that   
overflowed his senses and catapulted through his veins finally   
reached his brain, he knew his hair had turned a white-blonde, and   
his eyes were a pupil-less aquamarine. He also knew that the power   
that bulked him up was what he was trying to attain for so long;   
what Kakarotto and Seiika attained before him, and what he finally   
had achieved. 

He also saw that the two Drones were right in front of him.   
The green-glowing Drone One was just about to launch that damned   
paralysis beam upon both him and Seiika when, from out of nowhere,   
a blur took Drone One out of his sight. And other blur removed the   
remaining Drone. 

Vejiita blinked rapidly. 'What was that, and where in the Hell   
did the bugs go?' 

He looked around and saw a male with red, blue, and black   
hair and a long braid attacking Drone One with a sword. Pieces of   
Drone covered in a dark blue blood-substance flew everywhere. He   
had effectively carved up the Drone with a very sharp-looking   
katana. 

He spotted Drone Two being sliced into pieces, as well, by a   
purple-haired male with a fairly large sword. The tri-colored male   
pulled a cloth from behind his back, wrapped his sword, and placed it   
behind his back, where it disappeared. The purple haired male wiped   
his own blade clean of the blue goo and tossed it into the air, where   
it landed in its sheath on his back. Both males turned to Vejiita and   
Akane, who was still on the ground. She made a small noise and his   
attention was brought back to his sister. 

"Seiika! Daijoubu ka?" He knelt down next to her and placed   
his hand on her forehead. She blinked a few times as she looked   
into the corona of light that was her Super Saiya-jiin twin. 

She groaned once more. "Vejiita-chan? Is...that you?" She   
closed her eyes again and sighed softly. 

"Seiika? Don't go out on me! Seiika-chan! Don't leave me   
again!" Vejiita's voice rose in pitch with every sentence. His aura   
pulsed brightly, and with a flash, blinked out. 

Akane cracked open her eyes when she felt Vejiita slump onto   
her chest. They went wide when she saw the state he was in.   
"Vejiita? Vejiita-chan? Daijoubu ka?" She sat up, immediately   
regretting the sudden movement. She winced hard and slammed her   
eyes shut. Then she felt soft hands push her back to the ground,   
and the weight of Vejiita being removed from her chest. 

A soothing baritone talked her through the pain. "It's alright   
now. Just lie back down, and the pain will slowly go away." 

"Demo..." she struggled to sit up. "Vejiita..." 

"He's alright. He'd just passed out from the disc and the   
switch to Super Saiya-jiin." 

Akane fluttered her aquamarine eyes open and was met with   
warm dark-brown ones and a small smile. "Who are you?" 

He smiled wider and helped her sit up slowly. "For now, let's   
say I'm a friend." 

She looked around for Vejiita and found him a short distance   
away, still in Super Saiya-jiin mode, lying on his back with another   
male hovering over him. "And him?" She indicated to the   
purple-haired male by Vejiita. 

He looked over to the direction she indicated and nodded.   
"Hai, he's a friend, too. My best friend, actually. He's trying to   
remove the Hachi disc from his chest." 

Akane rubbed her head, trying to relieve the pain she felt   
there. "Hachi? Bee? Is that what those things are?" She looked   
around frantically. "Where are they? What happened to them? Did   
Vejiita get them?" 

The tri-colored male held her still, talking in calming tones   
once more. "Ssh, it's alright. We took care of the Drones. Those   
two are gone for now." He looked over to the other male and called   
out. "How's it going over there?" 

The purple-haired male looked up and nodded. "I'm just   
waiting for the last arm to retract. They all got fried when he went   
Super Saiya-jiin." 

"Is he still out yet?" 

The purple-haired male nodded again. "Hai, but he should be   
coming out of it soon. Alright, I got the disc off. Catch!" He   
tossed the disc into the air and the tri-colored Saiya-jiin hit it with   
a thin ki-beam, distinigrating it upon contact. 

The tri-colored male spoke again to his friend. "Did it hit   
Stage Two?" 

'Purple' shook his head. "Iie, they never activated it. I   
wonder why?" 

Akane smirked slightly. "Well, I flared into Super Saiya-jiin   
and attacked when they first attached it and he screamed. I don't   
think they got a chance." 'Tri' smiled slightly and nodded. 

He looked concerned a second later. "Are you feeling better?   
Can you stand up?" Akane shrugged her shoulders and moved to   
stand. She did it, but leaned on 'Tri' for support. "Boy, what I   
wouldn't do for a Senzu bean right now." She chuckled weakly. 'Tri'   
shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her in comfort. 

Akane made her way over to Vejiita, with Tri's help. She   
knelt down next to him and studied his new features, not noticing   
the two strange males had backed away. He looked pretty much the   
same, except for the blonde hair and the bulkier body. She looked   
at herself, comparing his change to her own. 'I do bulk up some   
when I'm Super Saiya-jiin. I didn't realise that.' She touched his   
cheek, rubbing off a smudge of dirt there. "You're all dirty,   
Vejiita-chan. Bulma-chan's gonna throw a fit." 

Vejiita groaned under her hand and cracked an aquamarine   
eye open. "Serori's going to have a heart attack when he sees you.   
Talk about a mess." 

Akane smiled and helped him sit up. "Are you sure you're all   
right?" She patted his chest where the disc was attached for good   
measure. 

Vejiita brushed her hand away. "I'm fine, Seiika." He looked   
around. "Where are the Bee creatures?" 

She glanced around and nodded behind him. "Those two males   
destroyed them, I guess. Or at least that's what they said. I was   
still knocked out. They also removed the disc from your chest."   
Akane looked relieved at his recovery rate, and powered down to   
normal. 

Vejiita whirled around, blinking a few times at the headache   
that rose out of nowhere. He felt his twin power down, and stood up   
straight. He remembered something important. 

He was a Super Saiya-jiin. 

He reached the Legend. 

He _was_ the Legend. 

Akane noticed his change in attitude and smirked. "So you   
finally remembered you reached Super Saiya-jiin?" Akane snorted.   
"Took you long enough." 

Vejiita whipped his head back around to his sister and saw   
that she had a genuine smile on her face. She bowed slightly.   
"Omedetou." 

He bowed back. "Domo arigato." Akane brought him in for a   
small hug, and kissed him on the cheek. "Welcome to the true Elite,   
Vejiita-ouji." 

He gave his sister a nod and turned to face the two males. He stared   
at them for a moment before scowling darkly. "You're Saiya-jiin."   
*********** 


	14. Circlin' the Wagons

**A Tail To Remember**   
**by Gie (phowah@cs.com)**   
************

**A Tail To Remember**   
**Chapter Thirteen: Circlin' the Wagons**

They glanced between each other. "How do you know that?" 

Vejiita flashed out of view and appeared behind them,   
latching onto their tails. "These." He squeezed them tightly, and   
made the strange males wince in pain. "Now, tell me who you are.   
There are only four Saiya-jiin in existance, and you are not the   
other two." 

Akane stepped forward, and stumbled a little. "Vejiita, calm   
down. And for Kami's sake, let go of their tails." 

Vejiita just squeezed harder. He snarled loudly. "Tell me, or   
I rip them off!" 

The purple haired male gritted out a word. "Trunks." 

The tri-colored male uttered another. "Tobuma." 

Vejiita dropped their tails and watched them hurriedly wrap   
around their respective owner's waists with a snort. "Those aren't   
Saiya-jiin names." He walked over to Akane and gave her the   
support she needed to retain her balance comfortably. "Who are   
you really? What is your purpose here?" 

Akane, grateful for the living crutch of Vejiita peered at   
Tobuma closely, studying his features. Tobuma blushed under the   
scrutiny. "You look really familiar. Have we met before?" Tobuma   
shook his head violently and backed up a few paces. Trunks just   
snorted at him. 

"So you're name is Tobuma? My name is Akane, or Seiika,   
whichever you want. I answer to both." She smiled. "And the living   
sourpuss of a crutch here is Vejiita, my brother. I'd like to thank   
you both for taking care of those things, whatever they are, or were   
I should say." 

Tobuma smiled slightly and bowed. "Hai. My name is Tobuma,   
and my friend is Trunks." Trunks bowed in response to his name. "It   
was our pleasure to help you finish off the Drones." He saw the look   
on Vejiita's scowling face and spoke hurriedly to answer it. "Yes, we   
are Saiya-jiin, and no, we are not here to blow up Chikyuu. We really   
can't tell you anything else right now. But we do have a question." 

Akane nodded and Vejiita just glared at the two males that   
claimed to be Saiya-jiin. 

"Has Son Goku arrived from space yet?" 

Akane nodded. "He landed last week." Vejiita let out a noise   
of disgust. 

Tobuma turned and glared at the scowling Trunks, who just   
snorted. "I told you." 

Trunks spoke. "Who can achieve Super Saiya-jiin?" 

Akane looked apprehensive as she glanced at her brother.   
"Well, me and Goku-san can, spontaneously. This was Vejiita-chan's   
first time. He can't control it yet." As she said that, Vejiita   
grunted and lost the switch, powering back down to normal levels.   
She said nothing to Vejiita, but she stared at the two hard. "Why   
do you want to know?" 

Vejiita stepped slightly in front of his sister. "Yes, tell us   
why you want to know, and why you helped us." His tone switched to   
arrogance. "We were doing fine on our own! There was no need for   
your interference." His face clouded over in anger. "What do you   
want?" 

Trunks spoke once again. "We are here to help you fight the   
Kiseichiuu Hachi." 

Vejiita glanced at Akane, who let out a slight sigh. "Hachi?   
It's obvious we were attacked by bee creatures. How do you know   
this?" 

Tobuma put a hand in the air, halting the line of questioning.   
"We will answer your questions as best we can, soon. Why don't we   
go where there is some light, and where everyone can gather   
together? It'll be easier to explain all at once." He nodded toward   
Akane. "And she could use some medical attention." 

Akane waved her hand around in a gesture of denial. "All I   
need is a Senzu bean, and I'll be fine." 

Vejiita glanced at Akane and nodded. "That'll do. But first,"   
he turned back to the two males. "First tell me how you know about   
the Legend of the Super Saiya-jiin!" 

Tobuma and Trunks looked between each other,   
communicating silently, and nodded. They both bent their heads   
slightly and dirt and small pebbles began to float in the air as the   
two males gathered their power. All of a sudden, two bright flashes   
occurred and after Vejiita and Akane blinked a few times to clear   
the spots, two new Super Saiya-jiin stood in front of them, now   
familiar blond hair and green eyes. Athough Tobuma's hair seemed   
to have exploded and be literally everywhere. 

Akane and Vejiita both widened their eyes at the two's   
transformation. More Super Saiya-jiin? Just how many more are   
there? Vejiita narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the two, and shook   
his head. His temper began to rise again. 

Akane soon got over her shock and shook her head in   
amazement. She gave Vejiita a warning glare, and after he settled   
down slightly, she spoke. "Oh my, two more Super Saiya-jiin. I   
guess the best place to go would be Capsule Corp." She glanced at   
the horizon. "The sun will be up soon." She gave her twin a look.   
"Ranma and Bulma are most likely going bonkers now." She closed   
her eyes. "Yep, Ranma is bouncing off the walls with worry." 

Vejiita nodded his head. "Onna is in the same state. Can you   
fly by yourself?" 

Akane stepped away from Vejiita and rocked a few times on   
her feet. "I think so. We'll have to go rather slow." 

Vejiita just snorted and scooped her up into his embrace.   
"Onna is about to go ballistic. We need to get home soon." Akane   
nodded and wrapped her arms around her brother's neck and rested   
her head on his shoulder. 

The fading moonlight caught her attention as it glanced off   
the alien craft. "Um, Vejiita-chan, what about those?" 

He looked in the direction she indicated. He raised a hand   
and blew up one of the pods. "What about them, Seiika?" 

Tobuma frowned. "Each pod carries five Drones, making   
twenty total. If we killed two tonight, then there are still eighteen   
left out there." 

Trunks raised a hand and destroyed another. "Hai. Well,   
they won't communiate with the Mother Hive anymore." He shot   
another blast and destroyed one more. 

Tobuma fired off his own ki shot and destroyed the last one.   
"Hai." He turned to the two Saiya-jiin siblings. "Shall we?" Vejiita   
gave the two new and unknown Saiya-jiin a nasty glare, but grunted   
and nodded in agreement when Akane cleared her throat in warning.   
He flared his aura and jumped into the sky, headed for Capsule Corp.   
Trunks and Tobuma looked at each other and both shrugged their   
shoulders, launching themselves into the air to follow the other two   
Saiya-jiin.   
******* 

  
What they did not realize was one part of a Pod still   
continued to function. Its purpose? To record and convey to the   
Mother Hive all activity inside and outside the Pods. 

But before the red light slowly began to fade and stop   
blinking altogether, a line of text flashed across the eye-screen:   
::transmission complete:: ***************** 

  
~Chikyuu, Capsule Corp, Night~ 

Back at Capsule Corp, every light that could be turned on, was   
lit and burning brightly. Although no one occupied the rooms where   
these lights blazed, they were at one time visited, and hurriedly left   
alone, once the quarry that was sought was decidedly not there. 

Ranma and Bulma were nervously pacing back and forth within   
Capsule Corp's walls. Bulma had three different cigarettes going, a   
nervous habit she had quit awhile ago, but tended to resurface when   
she was worried. Her mouth and hands were otherwise occupied by   
her incessant chewing on her almost non-existent fingernails, while   
every once in awhile, she unconsciously rubbed her chest in comfort,   
feeling something there that was not. Her eyes remained   
steadfastly fixed on the dark sky seen through the back door. 

Ranma was sitting on a stool in the kitchen, with his head in   
his hands one moment; within a blink he would be looking out the   
huge bay window in the dining room, and the next, running through a   
fast and furious kata in a hallway. At this moment, he happened to   
be next to Bulma, scanning the horizon for one or two, hopefully two,   
familiar ki signatures. 

Finding none once again, he sighed greatly, his tone clearly   
laced with worry and concern. "Where are they? I can't believe she   
took off with Vejiita-ouji without telling me, or leaving a note,   
or...something!" He threw his hands up in the air, frustrated at the   
lack of knowledge on the whereabouts of his mate and her twin. 

Bulma lit another cigarette and placed it in the ashtray with   
the others. " I know. I let him know that I was leaving. Why   
couldn't he have said something?" Her frustration and worry was   
turning into anger. She stomped her foot, taking out her anger on   
the hardwood floor. "This is so like him! To go off and not leave a   
trace. He used to do this before. He would be gone for days,   
sometimes weeks at a time, with not a word to anyone." She broke   
her eye contact with the sky and glanced at the fidgeting Ranma   
before returning it to her original post. "Seiika-chan has never done   
anything like this before, has she?" 

Ranma grunted and shook his head, running his hands through   
his wildly-splayed hair. "Iie. Never." 

She let out a sigh, her eyes still searching the midnight sky.   
"Something's wrong, isn't it? I felt something bad through the Bond   
several times--that's why I came home early." Bulma was oblivious   
to the blood that started to run down her hands due to her   
bitten-to-the-quick fingernails. "I felt something puncture my   
chest, and then right away, the 'wounds' started to throb. A few   
minutes later, I felt an explosion inside my chest that rattled my   
senses." She swore when she saw her blood-soaked hands and moved   
into the kitchen to take care of her self-inflicted wounds. 

When she returned Ranma was almost out the door. "Where   
do you think you're going, Serori?" 

He barely glanced over his shoulder at her. "I'm going after   
her. Them. Whomever I find. Something is definitely wrong. I felt   
her go Super Saiya-jiin. I felt extreme anguish." A flash of his own   
anguish crossed his face. "And I felt extreme pain. She's hurt,   
mad, and scared. I have to find her now." He flared his aura and   
made to jump into the air. 

He was stopped by a pair of thin, but strong, arms wrap   
around his neck. "And you think you're going to go off without me?   
Not a chance, Serori-kun. I felt the same things coming from   
Vejiita, and just because I can't fly on my own, doesn't mean I can't   
or don't care in the same way you do." Her face was set in grim   
determination. He was not going to leave her behind, one way or   
another. 

He nodded once and wrapped his arms around her waist in   
support. "Fine. You can come. But don't wiggle." He grunted loudly   
when she wiggled to adjust her grip. "I said no wiggling." 

"Gomen. Are we going to go or not?" 

"Hai." He flared his aura and jumped into the air. He   
hovered there for a few seconds, trying to decide which direction to   
take. 

Only to lower himself back to the ground. He released Bulma   
and stared into the sky. Bulma still had her arms around his neck.   
"Nani? Why did you stop and land? What's wrong? Aren't we going   
to go after them?" She stared into his face hard. 

He only pointed into the sky. She released his neck to turn   
and squint into the direction he pointed. "I don't see anything.   
What is it?" 

"Akane. Vejiita-ouji. They're coming. Fast." 

Bulma stared into the sky. "I don't see anything--wait, is that   
them?" She pointed to three bright, rapidly moving dots on the   
horizon. Two seemed to be set farther back from the first. 

Ranma nodded. "That's them." He frowned deeply when he   
realized something. "I knew it. She's been hurt. He's carrying her.   
Although, I don't recognize the other two with him." He blinked   
several times. "They're powerful, though." The three dots became   
small figures as they got closer. Bulma stepped away from Ranma   
and watched as Vejiita landed softly on the ground. 

The Prince glanced at the worried looks both mates gave the   
pair as he released Akane so she could stand on her own. He turned   
to Ranma and grunted, "Senzu bean. Now." Ranma nodded and shot   
into the house. 

Akane held onto Vejiita for support as he guided the two of   
them inside, where Ranma waited anxiously. He let Ranma take over   
the duties as Akane's crutch and watched as he led her over to the   
table, where he sat her down gently. He watched her consume the   
Senzu bean and caught the other that he was tossed. Relief washed   
over Vejiita as he watched her open wounds close themselves up, and   
she looked better visibly. 

"Better?" He questioned her with a smirk. 

Akane nodded and sighed. "Much. You?" 

He nodded and was overwhelmed by a tornado of blue hair   
that launched herself onto him and latched on tightly. His surprised   
look turned slightly tender and he rubbed the back of his sobbing   
mate. "Shh, Onna. I'm okay, Onna. Stop your bawling and look at   
me." 

He was greeted by watery blue eyes and tear-stained cheeks.   
"What happened, Vejiita? Where were you? Why didn't you say   
anything? I felt pain! What happened?" Her babbling was starting   
to wear on his nerves. He glanced over to his sister and found her in   
a bone-crushing embrace by Serori, face and hands buried within   
that mop of tangles he called hair. 

He turned back to Bulma, who was starting to get agitated by   
his silence. He leaned forward and bit her nose, leaning his   
forehead upon hers, and closed his eyes when she responded   
appropriately. "We're fine, Onna. We went hunting." 

Bulma blinked. She leaned back slightly so she could see his   
face. "Hunting? You went hunting in the middle of the night?" He   
nodded. "That's it?" 

Akane lifted her head and swore, startling the others in the   
room. "We forgot our deer, Vejiita." 

He smirked and nodded. "Well, I wasn't about to carry both   
you and that carcass home. One sack of dead weight was enough."   
He smirked wider when a raspberry was blown in his direction. His   
face went serious, though, with his next statement. "The deer was   
not high on our list of priorities." Akane sobered up as well and   
nodded in agreement. 

Ranma looked into his mate's face with concern and a   
question. "What does he mean by that, Akane?" 

She sighed and disentangled herself from Ranma. "What he   
means, Ranma, is that we ran into some trouble while we were   
hunting." 

"What kind of trouble, Akane?" 

She sighed once more. "Enemy trouble. They're here. And   
they're nasty." She started to explain what happened to them in the   
woods, but paused, looking around. "Where are they, Vejiita?" 

Ranma looked confused. "Where are who, Akane?" His face   
turned into shock. "Did you bring the new enemy home with you?   
How could you, Akane?" 

She stepped away from Ranma, and throwing him a grimace   
and a shake of the head, left the room. She returned a minute   
later, a smile upon her face and two unfamiliar males in tow. At   
least to Ranma and Bulma. "Found them, Vejiita-chan! They were   
waiting outside." Vejiita just rolled his eyes at her jovial mood   
switch. 

Ranma stood up hastily. "Who are they, Akane? Are they the   
new enemy?" He forcefully walked up to the two new males and put   
himself in-between Akane and the strangers. A slight glow started   
to form around him. "Who are you? What do you have to do with   
the new enemy and what do you want with Akane?" 

Akane rolled her eyes and forcefully pulled Ranma away from   
Tobuma, who happened to be next to her. She sat him down in a   
chair. "Oh, hush, Baby. They mean no harm. Actually, they are the   
ones that destroyed the Drones that attacked us." 

Bulma got up off Vejiita's lap and walked over to the new   
males. "Drones? What are Drones? And who are you?" She stood   
very close to Trunks and studied his features for several minutes.   
"Do I know you? You look awfully familiar." She fingered the   
familiar logo on his jacket. "My name's Bulma. Do you work for me?" 

Trunks blushed slightly and shook his head. "Iie, I don't work   
here." Vejiita growled slightly under his breath, his tail lashed back   
and forth to show his irritation. Trunks noticed the short male's   
temper and took a few steps back. 

Tobuma rolled his eyes but hastily stepped back as well when   
he heard Ranma's growl. He tried to remedy the situation with   
introductions. He nodded to Trunks. 

Trunks nodded back. He gave Bulma a deep bow of greeting.   
"My name is Trunks, and my friend is Tobuma." Tobuma bowed at   
Ranma and Bulma as well. 

Ranma crossed his ams and nodded back. He narrowed his   
eyes and spoke. "Ranma, Serori, whatever. Alright, now that intros   
are out of the way, what are you doing here? I thought there were   
no more Saiya-jiin left except for the ones on Chikyuu." 

Akane widened her eyes. "How do you know that they're   
Saiya-jiin?" 

"Their tails gave them away." Ranma pointed at the   
incriminating objects wrapped around their waists. 

Vejiita grunted and nodded, impressed his student was   
observant. "That's what I said." 

Trunks shrugged and spoke quietly. "When everyone gets   
here, we'll explain to you as much as we can." 

Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Explain what?" 

"We'll explain why we're here." 

Vejiita snorted and crossed his arms. "They know the new   
enemy." 

Bulma and Ranma stared at the two male Saiya-jiin. "Are you   
going to explain them as well?" 

Tobuma nodded. "We can answer all questions," Trunks   
grunted and scowled. "Well, as many as we can, when everyone   
arrives." 

Ranma scratched his head, frowning. "You keep saying when   
everyone gets here. Who is everyone?" 

Tobuma shrugged his shoulders with indifference. "Everyone   
that wants to defend Chikyuu from the Hachi." 

Bulma glanced at Vejiita, to see his reaction. He rolled his   
eyes and turned away. She sighed and nodded. "Alright, then. I can   
wait. I'll start by calling Kame House, and Yamucha. They should be   
able to get in contact with everyone." She moved over to the phone   
and picked up the receiver. 

Akane intercepted her movements. "Why don't we wait until   
at least sunrise, and everyone is awake?" Vejiita snorted and Bulma   
put the receiver down in embarassment. 

Ranma shook his head. "Iie, we need to hear this as soon as   
possible. The sooner we are informed, the better we can prepare   
ourselves for this 'Hachi.'" Vejiita grunted in approval. 

Bulma rolled her eyes and picked up the receiver again. "Fine   
then, I'll call now." An idea popped into her head. "We could all eat   
breakfast together, then!" 

"If you're going to prepare food, then you might want to call   
Kakarotto's mate, first." 

Akane and Bulma whirled around to stare at the Prince.   
"What is that supposed to mean?" 

Vejiita stuck his nose into the air and glanced at them out of   
the corner of his eyes. "I think you know what it means." 

Ranma also knew what it meant, and stepped in between the   
two fuming females and the arrogant Prince. "All he means is that   
she'd be a big help in the kitchen." Both Akane and Bulma turned   
red and glared at him. He started to get white in the face from   
panic. "Uh, what I meant is that she'd do everything so you wouldn't   
have to dirty your hands?" His eyes darted from one female to the   
next. 

Akane glanced at Bulma and smirked. "You're lucky, Ranma.   
I'm in a forgiving mood." She raised an eyebrow at the two males   
and turned away, flicking her tail at him. Bulma just snorted and   
followed her fellow female into the kitchen, hitting the swinging   
door hard. 

When they were out of sight, Ranma let out a long sigh of   
relief. Vejiita snorted loudly at Ranma and crossed his arms. "Are   
you afraid of your mate, Serori?" 

"Hai!" Ranma nodded vigorously, staring at the kitchen door. 

All three males laughed in their own way at the shaking   
Ranma. He turned around and scowled, trying to recover some of his   
dignity and pride. The two younger Saiya-jiin sobered up quickly,   
but Vejiita ignored the look and just smirked. 

"Oh, Ranma-chan," Akane sing-songed from the kitchen.   
Ranma swung around at the mention of his name and called   
back. "Nani?" 

The door opened and a glass of water flew out. Ranma barely   
missed the spray. He stuck his tongue out at the closed door.   
"Nyah! You missed, Hima-chan!" 

Akane stuck her head out. "Honto? I did? Darn." 

He nodded and stuck his tongue out again. "Yup! You gotta   
get up pretty early in the morning to pull one over on Saotome   
Ranma!" At that moment, he felt a very familiar feeling--water, cold   
water, running down his face. He felt the curse shift his body into   
his female form. A giggle that sounded behind him made him whirl   
around. 

Bulma stood there with one hand covering her mouth and the   
other holding an empty glass. "It's a good thing, then, Serori-kun,   
we haven't gone to bed yet, hmm?" She patted the redhead on the   
cheek and walked into the kitchen with a smug look on her face. 

Akane glanced at her fellow conspirator and gave her a   
high-five as she walked inside. "That's for your earlier comment,   
Ranma." She giggled at his sour expression. "Cheer up, Ranko.   
Otherwise, I'll make you help out in the kitchen with the other girls."   
She stuck her tongue out at him, and disappeared into the kitchen. 

Ranma cursed under his breath at the slowly swinging door. 

Vejiita just sneered at the hapless 'female.' "Are you male or   
female, Serori? Don't let Seiika push you around like that." He   
snorted and shook his head, turning to the picture window. "A   
female should never be able to control a male, especially a Saiya-jiin   
male, like a puppy." He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. 

He soon felt hot breath upon his neck. "What was that,   
Vejkiita-baka?" Bulma gritted behind clenched teeth. 

"You heard me, Onna." 

'Well, then hear me, O mighty Saiya-jiin no baka." Vejiita   
opened his eyes and turned to face his pissed-off mate. Bulma was   
getting very red in the face, and her eyes sparkled with anger. To   
him, she was the most gorgeous creature alive. "This 'female' will   
treat her Saiya-jiin like a puppy if she wants to. Especially if he   
acts like one." 

"Listen here, Onna. No one tells the Saiya-jiin no Ouji what   
he can or can not do." He looked her up and down disdainfully and   
snorted. "Especially a blue-haired weak Human female." 

Bulma's face turned as red as a cooked lobster. "Weak   
Human female, am I? Well, I'll show you weak!" Vejiita smirked   
widely, waiting and inviting her next move. 

Bulma raised a hand and moved to slap him in the face. But   
when she reached his face, instead of slapping him, because she   
knew it wouldn't affect him; only her by hurting her hand, she poked   
him in the nose with her finger. 

"It's the couch for you, Otoko!" She poked his nose a few   
times for good measure, and turned away abruptly. As she was   
walking back into the kitchen once more, she called out over her   
shoulder. "Oh, and by the way," she paused for effect and glanced   
at her bandaged fingers. "Until you act your real age, and not a   
puppy's, I'm not going to fix the gravity room." She slammed the   
kitchen door closed. A burst of giggles could be heard from within. 

All four males, well, three and one male/female water   
shapeshifter stood there, silent, with Vejiita blinking rapidly. 

Trunks broke the silence by letting out a low whistle.   
"Oooh...denied access to the bedroom. That's harsh." 

The two current resident males of Capsule Corp whirled on   
the new arrivals and focused on the purple-haired youth. Vejiita   
growled deep within his throat and glowed bright. He started to   
advance on Trunks, his tail lashing back and forth, showing the   
barely concealed emotions. 

Trunks, eyes wide in surprise, backed away hastily from the   
irate Prince. "Gomen nasai! I didn't mean anything by it!" 

Vejiita just spit to the side and brightened his aura. "I'm   
tired of waiting for you and your baka friend here to explain   
yourselves. Either I get some answers now, or I beat them out of   
you." 

Trunks sighed, and shook his head slowly, frowning slightly at   
the ultimatium. "I can't say anything now. Not until everyone is   
here." He backed up more, seeing the evil glint in the older male in   
front of him. 

Vejiita just shrugged and smirked, cracking his knuckles. 

"Alright then, if it's a beating you prefer, it's a beating you'll get."   
With that, Vejiita began to take out his frustration on the young   
male with a high swing of his fist. 

Trunks, even with the ability to go Super Saiya-jin waiting in   
the wings, was having a hard time blocking the infuriated Prince's   
blows, and trying to avoid wrecking any furniture at the same time.   
Bulma shouted out from the kitchen, "Take it outside!" Vejiita   
snorted and dragged Trunks out the door by his collar and into the   
yard. 

Ranma and Tobuma glanced at each other and followed the   
brightly glowing Saiya-jiin outside, where to their surprise, Goku,   
Gohan, and ChiChi had just 'popped' in, thanks to Goku's teleporting   
abilities. The three Son's walked around the dueling pair and joined   
Ranma and Tobuma on the sidelines. 

"Ohiayo, Serori-kun!" Goku cheerfully greeted Ranma, smiling   
and waving. Ranma nodded in reply, keeping a critical eye on the   
match. "Who's Vejiita sparring with?" 

"Trunks." 

Goku scratched his head in confusion. "Who's that?" 

"Ask him." He nodded his head at Tobuma. "He came with   
this one here. They won't tell us anything until everyone arrives." 

Goku looked at tri-colored male over. "You're Saiya-jiin,   
aren't you?" 

Tobuma nodded and waved his tail. "Hai. Tail, right?" 

Goku nodded. "Sugoi! More Saiya-jiin. I bet Vejiita is happy.   
Well, I'm Son Goku, and this is my son, Gohan, and my mate, ChiChi."   
Both Gohan and ChiChi nodded tiredly at their names. 

Tobuma nodded and bowed slightly. ""I'm Tobuma, and the   
purple-haired victim of Vejiita-ouji's rage is Trunks." 

Ranma glanced at the three for a moment and turned back to   
the fight. "The girls are in the kitchen making breakfast,   
ChiChi-san, if you wanted to know. Could you try and keep Akane   
away from the food, please? It'd be preferable if the food is   
edible." 

ChiChi smiled slightly at the redhead. "I'll see what I can do,   
Serori-kun. Or should I say, Serori-chan?" Ranma flinched slightly   
at the suffix. "Would you like some hot water?" 

He sighed and nodded. "It would be nice, ChiChi-san, but not   
necessary. I believe I'm being punished right now." She raised an   
eyebrow in question. "If you ask the girls, I bet they'd love to tell   
you." ChiChi just glanced at him oddly and went inside.   
******************** Their attention was abruptly brought back to the fight when   
it escalated to ki blasts. Ranma threw up a ki shield when a wayward   
shot flew a little close for comfort. He shot a low-level one of his   
own into the fray. "Watch it, you two! You'll hit the house, and then   
Bulma will really be pissed!" 

"Yeah, or you might hit my car!" The four non-combatants   
turned to the new arrivals. Yamucha, Kurillin, Tenshinhan, and   
Chao-tzu arrived in Kurillin's car, and were crawling out of it   
cautiously. 

Gohan waved to everyone in greeting. "Ohiayo, minna! It's   
early, isn't it?" 

Kurillin covered a wide yawn with his hand in emphasis. "This   
better be a good reason to disturb my beauty sleep. Bulma said it   
was really important," he winked at Gohan, "but you know her." 

Goku smiled at his long-time friend and nodded. "It is,   
Kurillin. There's new information on the enemy." 

As the others talked, Yamucha glanced around. He watched   
the match a little, but his eyes got blurry from trying to follow the   
dizzying speeds that the two combatants were fighting. But his   
eyesight cleared up quickly when he spied the gorgeous redhead that   
was engrossed in the match. 

Yamucha sauntered up to Ranma and cleared his throat. "Hey   
there. Ohiayo. I've never seen you here before." 

Ranma raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged. He turned   
back to the fight in progress. "I arrived several days ago." 

Yamucha put on his best smile and bowed slightly. She was   
talking to him! "My name's Yamucha. What's yours?" 

Ranma quietly sighed. He turned his head and looked the   
male next to him up and down. He wasn't too impressed. "Saotome   
Ranma." 

Tenshinhan glanced over to the small female, recognizing the   
name Kami-sama mentioned as one of the two new Saiya-jiin on   
Chikyuu. "Do you know someone else with your name? A guy,   
perhaps?" Tenshinhan quirked an eyebrow at the busty young   
female. "Probably around your age?" 

Ranma frowned slightly, not expecting a slightly vague   
description of his original male form. 'How do they know me? I've   
never met them before, have I? Unless Kurillin said something to   
them...' "Iie, I know no one else with my name." 

Kurillin chuckled under his breath. He saw Yamucha go up to   
Ranma and start to get friendly with him. He hadn't told anyone of   
Ranma's curse and shapeshifting abilities. He wanted them to see   
for themselves, because they wouldn't have believed him, even if   
tried to explain it until he was blue in the face. Kurillin sat back and   
tried to keep his laughter to himself as he enjoyed the show. 

Yamucha, however, was oblivious to everything around him   
except for the stunning female that radiated perfect beauty and   
grace directly in front of him. "That's sort of funny, then. We've   
heard of a guy with your name, once. Say, you wouldn't want to go   
and see a movie with me or something later? After I'm done here,   
of course." He puffed out his chest and flexed a few muscles. "Did   
you know I'm one of the Chikyuu's defenders? I've helped save this   
world countless times." 

Ranma rolled his eyes. "No, thank you." He crossed his arms   
in irritation, glancing around to try to find a way out of the corner   
he had become trapped in by the scarred male. 

Yamucha, sweet, but clueless soul that he was, was innocent   
to Ranma's ever growing bad mood. He wasn't going to let the catch   
of the decade slip through his fingers. "Well, we could leave now, if   
you want. I can find out the details about whatever we're going to   
talk about from someone else. How about it, baby?" Yamucha put   
his hand in Ranma's shoulder, caressing it softly. 

The now female Saiya-jiin just glanced at the weathered   
hand that belonged to the tall warrior and scowled darkly. 'He   
doesn't know--he doesn't know.' Ranma just chanted a mantra to   
himself under his breath. "You really shouldn't place your hand   
there." He glared up into the bandit's face. 

Yamucha raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Honto? And then   
where do you suggest I place it?" Yamucha then proceeded to move   
his hand to Ranma's cheek, and caressed it with his thumb. 

While Yamucha was busy impressing female Ranma, Kurillin   
was quietly explaining to Tenshinhan and Chao-tzu who the petite   
redhead really was. All five of their eyes widened drastically.   
"Honto? Cold water switches him to female, and hot reverses it?   
That's amazing!" 

Kurillin nodded his head. "Believe it. Serori doesn't like it   
much at all, but he's had it for several years now. I've seen him   
change. He got it on a training trip in China with his father, who has   
one, too. He changes into a panda." 

"Sugoi! If he doen't like it, why does he keep it?" 

Kurillin shrugged, and almost choked when he saw Yamucha   
putting the moves on Ranma. "I don't know. I've only known him   
since the beginning of the week. We've sparred a couple times, but   
he's pretty damned good for being a teenager. If he had his   
Saiya-jiin heritage and abilities his entire life, I really don't think I   
could have stood up to him, or anyone else on Chikyuu for that   
matter, save Goku and Vejiita." 

Chao-tzu looked around. "So Vejiita's sister is here, too?" 

"Hai." Kurillin nodded, glancing around as well. "I don't know   
where she is, right now. Both her and Serori have moved into   
Capsule Corp. But she's a really nice girl. Kawaii." He smiled wide.   
"She has a really cute older sister, as well. She's almost the   
complete opposite of Vejiita. Except when she's mad. Then, look   
out!" He puffed out his chest slightly. "We're sparring partners,   
now, because she beat up Gohan too much. She can turn Super   
Saiya-jiin. Me, Goku, Gohan and Vejiita have been training with both   
Serori and Seiika for the past week. Talk about fast learners." 

At that time, everyone's attention was brought back rather   
abruptly to the fight. The area exploded in light because Trunks   
went Super Saiya-jiin. The crowd was silent, in awe of the power   
that he radiated. 

The Senshi that haven't seen a Super Saiya-jiin were   
speechless. They couldn't believe the power that he radiated. 

Tenshinhan gaped widely. "That's a Super Saiya-jiin? That's   
incredible! Just feel the power he gives off! Goku can do that?" 

Tobuma, who had been silently listening and absorbing   
everything throughout all of their conversations, just smiled a   
secret smile and backed further into the shadows, letting Trunks   
steal the limelight. 

But his limelight was abruptly stolen away when Vejiita   
floored the crowd by breaking the barrier once again, and showing   
the world around him, that, he too, was a Golden Warrior. 

A Super Saiya-jiin. 

Ranma turned his attention to his brother-in-law, cracked a   
wide smile and shook his head in wonder. "He did it. He finally did   
it. I knew he was close." 

Goku smiled brightly and jumped up and down in excitement.   
"Vejiita is a Super Saiya-jiin!! Yatta! Sugoi!" 

As everyone gaped and stared in wonder at the frenzied   
attacks of the two newly identified Super Saiya-jiin, Ranma took the   
opportunity to sneak away from Yamucha's unwanted attentions. He   
crept away slowly and was about to enter the house when the door   
swung open and Akane inadvertently ran into Ranma. 

She looked stunned for a second, then glanced around at the   
scene. "What's going on, Ranma?" 

Ranma gave her a guilty look, he didn't know why, but he did,   
and stuttered, "Wha..what do you me...mean, Akane?" He nervously   
glanced around trying to get away as fast as possible. He didn't   
want to risk Yamucha seeing him again in this form. 

Akane glanced roughly her still-female mate and scowled.   
"What are you talking about? Why is Vejiita beating up Trunks-san,   
and why are you skulking about? What did you do?" She frowned,   
putting her hands on her hips. 

Ranma waved off the sparring Super Saiya-jiin. "Ah, they're   
just letting off steam. Did you know Vejiita-ouji could turn Super?" 

Akane smiled and nodded. "He did it for the first time when   
I got hurt. I'm really proud of him." She looked at him critically.   
"Now, when are you going to? You're next, you realize." 

He waved off her accusations with a shrug, his hackles rising   
slightly. "Don't worry about me. I'll get there when I get there, and   
it will be soon. I can feel it. You're just lucky because your genes   
decended from the original." Akane stuck her tongue out at her   
mate, receiving a bite on the nose in return. Ranma glanced around   
and spotted Yamucha headed in her direction. "Oh great, here he   
comes again. Ya gotta hide me, Hima-chan." Ranma darted behind   
his mate, shielding himself from the unwanted bundle of rampaging   
hormones known as Yamucha. Akane glanced confusedly around,   
looking for the creature that would make Ranma run and hide. 

"Hey, there you are, Ranma. I thought I'd lost you in the   
excitement for a minute." He smiled at the beautiful brunette in   
front of his ravishing redhead. He went around and placed his hands   
on Ranma's shoulders. "Say, who's your gorgeous friend, here? I'm   
Yamucha." 

Akane snorted rudely but manners overrode her distate of   
the pickup line. She felt Ranma stiffen dramatically and growl under   
his breath. "Saotome Akane." She turned toward the desert bandit   
and narrowed her eyes. "You might want to let Ranma go. He   
doesn't like to be touched in that way." 

Yamucha raised his eyebrows questionably. "If she didn't like   
it, then she would have said something, right, baby?" 

Ranma growled out loud this time, and emitted a small, hot   
aura. "I don't like it." 

Yamucha, finally opening his eyes to the situation, removed   
his hands from Ranma and backed up a few paces. "Hey, I   
understand some chicks are like that. All you had to tell me was   
that you were lesbian lovers, and I would have backed off." 

Akane and Ranma stared at him in shock. "Lesbian lovers?"   
They cried out in unison. 

Everyone within hearing distance turned toward the trio,   
wondering where that conversation was going. Ranma and Akane   
went red-faced; a mixture of anger and embarrassment flushing   
their features. 

Yamucha nodded, already back in his oblivious little world.   
"Yeah, and I'm completely cool about it. It's not your fault you feel   
that way. I read an article in one of Muten Roshi's magazines..." He   
trailed off, finally sensing the tremendous auras in front of him. He   
backed away a few paces, holding his hands up for shielding. "Is   
anything wrong, ladies?" 

Akane struggled vainly to keep her temper in check. "Iie,   
nothing's wrong. Yet. Come on, Ranma. Let's go get some water."   
She tugged at the smaller redhead, trying to turn his attention away   
from the oblivious warrior in front of them. 

"Water? Make it hot. The hotter the better." Ranma gave   
the bandit one final scalding glare and followed Akane inside the   
house. 

Yamucha watched them go inside and shrugged to himself.   
"Maybe they're in denial?" He turned back around quickly, though.   
It took a minute, but something registered in his mind. Kurillin,   
Tenshinhan and Chao-tzu walked up to him with knowing smiles   
plastered upon their faces. "Did I just see right? Did those two   
girls have tails?" 

Kurillin shook his head in wonder and clapped his hand on his   
shoulder. "I really don't want to be in your shoes later, Yamucha." 

"Why? What'd I do?" He glanced from one face to the other   
cluelessly. 

Kurillin was just about to explain the sitaution when Bulma   
stepped outside and announced breakfast was ready. Everyone   
rushed inside, Goku leading the pack, all eager to get at the food. 

Tobuma finally stepped out of the shadows with a giant grin   
on his face. He had heard the entire conversation, and just laughed   
silently to himself. He turned toward the two dueling senshi, still   
going at it. He cupped his hands and shouted, "Trunks-kun,   
breakfast!" 

Trunks glanced at Tobuma for only a second, but that was the   
distraction that Vejiita was waiting for, and taking full advantage of   
it, threw a well-placed punch into his stomach. When Trunks bent   
over, Vejiita jabbed both of his elbows into his exposed back,   
knocking Trunks to the ground, and out of Super mode. This   
effectively ended the match. 

Vejiita floated down to the ground, breathing heavily and   
gushing blood everywhere. Trunks was in the same state, albeit on   
the ground, and clutching his stomach in pain. 

"A weak excuse for a Saiya-jiin, Super one at that." Vejiita   
smirked slightly and turned his head, spitting out a mouthful of   
blood. 

Trunks grinned through the pain, and nodded. "You're not   
half bad, yourself." He pulled himself up into a standing position,   
waving off Tobuma's hand for assistance. 

Bulma came back outside, frowning at the mess the two males   
made. "Just look at my lawn! There's barely any grass left!" She   
turned toward the three and wrinkled her nose. "Ugh! Before you   
eat, you will clean yourselves up. I don't want any blood at the   
table!" 

Trunks nodded. "Hai, Bulma-san." He waved to Vejiita, and   
bowed slightly to him, before he followed Tobuma inside. 

Vejiita scowled at the retreating Saiya-jiin, then at his mate,   
who had a questioning look on her face. "What are you staring at,   
Onna? You know better than to tell me what to do. I'll clean up if I   
want to, and only then." He brushed by her, on his way inside. But   
she grabbed onto his arm and stopped him. 

She walked around him, running a hand across a bicep, and   
touching his hair in wonder. "You did it. You reached Super   
Saiya-jiin." 

He smirked wide and when she was in front of him once more,   
brought her into his arms and nibbled on her ear. "Of course I did,   
Onna. Did you not believe I would? Do you have that little faith in   
me?" 

Bulma wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, hugging him   
close. "Of course I did, Otoko. I just thought you'd tell me right   
away." 

He nuzzled her neck, laying soft kisses up and down its   
length. "Maybe I did, Onna. You just didn't read it right." 

Bulma frowned, thinking over what he said. She shook her   
head, placing that statement on the back burner for the moment.   
Her attention was refocused on the bloody mess she called a mate   
and a husband. She pushed away from him and stuck her tongue out   
in disgust. "Otoko, you will bathe, and bathe now, or no food!" She   
stomped her foot menacingly. 

Vejiita just smiled and caught her waist with his tail, bringing   
her into his arms once more. "I guess I'll have to bathe, then. But I   
may need help..." He trailed off, brushing his lips across her   
forehead before delving his nose into the sweet aroma of her hair. 

Bulma sighed. A good fight always brought out the sex fiend   
in her mate. She pushed away and stepped out of his embrace,   
unravelling his furry appendage from her waist. It just wrapped   
around her arm in protest. "Not now, Vejiita. We have guests   
inside, and I don't want any blood on me." 

He grinned and shook his head. "Too late, Onna. Now it looks   
like you need that shower after all." Bulma snorted when she saw   
his blood all over her. 

"Fine! But let's make it quick, all right?" He shrugged his   
shoulders and reached for her, pulling her close. He jumped and   
flew up to the balcony that was their room to 'clean up,' as Bulma   
thought, hopefully. 

****************** 


	15. Explanations

**A Tail To Remember**   
**by Gie (phowahcs.com)**   
****

**A Tail To Remember**   
**Chapter Fourteen: Explanations**

Inside, everyone had gathered and seated themselves around   
the large banquet table and was waiting for the rest to arrive and   
Bulma to give the go-ahead. Conversation was light and happy.   
Several cheers were sounded when Trunks and Tobuma entered the   
room. They sat down together, Trunks taking his time due to   
injuries he suffered under Vejiita's attack, and talked quietly to   
themselves, while the others just glanced at them and wondered   
what their story was. 

After twenty minutes or so, everyone was getting antsy,   
wondering where their hostess and her mate were hiding. Bulma   
soon rushed in, looking wet and disheveled, a new set of clothes and   
a warm blush across her features. She sat down next to Goku and   
caught her breath. "Gomen, everyone. I had to take care of a few   
matters...elsewhere. We'll start eating when Vejiita arrives." 

"Don't wait on my account, Onna. If Kakarotto holds out much   
longer, he's bloody likely eat the entire building." Vejiita walked in,   
wearing a set of black pants and a black tank top. He flicked Trunks   
a Senzu bean and sat down in between Akane and Bulma, the last   
seat available. Trunks, surprised, caught the small legume and ate it. 

Goku smiled at Vejiita and looked at Bulma with puppy-dog   
eyes. "Can we eat now, Bulma? I'm starving!" 

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Hai, you overgrown garbage   
disposal." Soon, food was being passed around the table, and mass   
quantities were being consumed. With seven, count them, seven   
Saiya-jiin appetites, there had to be mass amounts available for   
consumption. 

After a few minutes, and everyone had settled into the   
routine of eating, Bulma stood up. "Since there are a few new faces   
here at the table, why don't they stand up and introduce   
themselves?" She sat back down and nodded to Akane and Ranma. 

Vejiita grunted in between bites. "This isn't the first day of   
kindergarten, Onna." She just elbowed him in the side and rolled   
her eyes. 

Akane wiped her mouth with a napkin and pulled the now   
male-Ranma up with her, scowling at his mouthful of food. He   
swallowed quickly and smiled. "Ohiayo, minna. I'm Saotome Akane,   
and this is my mate, or husband, whichever you prefer, Ranma."   
They both threw a heated glance at Yamucha, who looked surprised.   
"We're also known as Seiika and Serori. We'll answer to both. Just   
so you don't have to ask, yes we are Saiya-jiin, raised as Humans.   
We just found out about our Saiya-jiin heritage a week or so ago,   
when our tails grew back, and our memories were released from the   
block Kami-sama placed on us when we crashed on Chikyuu. Vejiita is   
my twin brother." She sat back down, pulling Ranma back down with   
her once again. 

Yamucha was confused. This was the Ranma he thought   
matched the name and image Kami-sama showed them earlier in the   
week. Then who was the redhead? "Can I ask a question?" 

Bulma looked surprised, but nodded. "Sure, Yamucha. Go   
ahead." 

"Where's the redhead?" 

Bulma frowned for a second. "Redhead?" She glanced around   
and saw Ranma's cheeks flushed pink. She put one and one together   
and came up with five. "Oh, that redhead! She...had to leave." 

"Where'd she go?" He smirked widely, rubbing his hands   
together at the memory. "She's a pretty hot chick!" 

Ranma stood up, aura bright and hot. "That does it! I'm   
gonna tear him apart!" Akane grabbed his wildly flailing tail, but   
that didn't stop him. She reached for a glass of water on the table.   
Lucky for her, and Yamucha, it was cold. Ranma shrunk and grew in   
various different areas. 

He stopped advancing, grunting and wringing out his once-dry   
shirt with a frown. "Why'd ya go and do that for?" 

Akane shook her head at her mate, and scowled at his   
behavior. "Baka! He didn't know, Ranma. You should be used to it by   
now." She pulled him back to his seat and went into the kitchen to   
get some hot water. 

"The redhead is a guy? Woah! No wonder she got bent out   
of shape when I called her a lesbian." Yamucha muttered under his   
breath. Vejiita looked up from his food, a look of surprise and   
amusement on his face. 

"So, how did you do that? Are you a Saiya-jiin shapeshifter?"   
he asked out loud. "Sorry about earlier, man. Or are you really a   
girl?" 

Ranma stood up, aura going full board once more. "I'm a guy,   
damnit!" 

Akane opened the door to the kitchen and sighed. She   
poured the water over his head. "He's male, definitely." They all   
were entranced at the change as he shifted, several areas   
broadening and growing, while others narrowed and shrunk, as he   
returned to his original male form. 

"Sugoi..." The un-informed members of the team marvelled   
over the transformation. Akane briefly explained Jusenkyo, and its   
'wonders.' 

She patted her mate upon the arm. "I know. I never get   
tired of watching him switch genders." Ranma sat down, flashing   
Yamucha a glare. Akane wrapped her tail around his waist and   
squeezed comfortingly. Ranma just grumbled and focused on eating   
the food in front of him. 

Bulma nodded to the pair of males. Trunks and Tobuma stood   
up. "I'm Trunks, and this is Tobuma." 

"You're Saiya-jiin." 

Everyone turned to the door, where the new arrival stood,   
arms crossed. 

Gohan's eyes brightened. "Piccolo-san!" 

Akane and Ranma gasped aloud. "You're Piccolo?" Ranma   
sputtered out. "You're a green alien!" 

Akane slapped her mate alongside his head. "Shut up, Ranma   
no baka! That's not very nice!" 

Piccolo smirked at the two surprised Saiya-jiin. "That's fine,   
Seiika-oujo. If Serori here wants to make a fool out of himself, he   
can. I already know I'm green, and not from Chikyuu." He smirked   
wider at Ranma's blush. "I'm flattered you noticed, Serori." 

Akane cleared her throat and gave the tall Namek-seijiin a   
shy smile. 'Ohiayo, Piccolo-san. Is it true that you are related to   
Kami-sama?" 

He turned his eyes to the female Saiya-jiin and shrugged his   
shoulders. "You could say that. But, let's not talk about my   
ancestry." He turned his gaze to the two males that were still   
standing. "As I said, you two are Saiya-jiin. Are you here to   
destroy Chikyuu or some other nonsense along those lines?" 

Trunks shook his head. "Iie. Actually we're here to help   
protect it." 

"Are you actually from space?" Chao-tzu spoke up, a brave   
look upon his face. 

Trunks shook his head again, surprising several of the   
members present. "Iie. We were born on Chikyuu." 

Vejiita had been silent, concentrating on his food, and not the   
others surrounding him, but he spoke up after Trunks last   
declaration. "Nani? How can you be born on Chikyuu? When?   
Where?" He stood up, glaring at the two young Saiya-jiin with a   
gleam of anger and confusion in his eye. 

Trunks and Tobuma glanced at each other, not showing their   
fear of the Prince's temper outwardly. They calmly sat down and   
apaologized to the group. "Gomen nasai. We can't say. It'd   
affect...gomen." 

An uncomfortable silence reigned over the table. Some   
focused on eating, and others just stared at the visitors or each   
other. Bulma was first to break the maddening calm. "We   
understand...I guess. Where are your parents? Do they live in   
Japan?" 

Both males sighed simultaneously. "They're dead." Tobuma   
muttered. 

Scattered gasps and murmurs rifled through the group. "Oh   
you poor dears!" Bulma cried in sympathy. 

Vejiita snorted, not looking up from his plate. "Stop babying   
them, Onna. They've dealt with it, and moved on." 

Trunks swallowed audibly and nodded. "Well, it still hurts,   
but that's alright. We're fine." 

Tobuma nodded as well. "Trunks-kun and I came to help you   
defeat the Hachi, your new enemy." 

Piccolo spoke from a corner of the room. "They're here,   
aren't they." It wasn't a question. 

Tobuma nodded. "Hai. A fleet of twenty Hachi Drones   
landed in a clearing in the woods a few miles from here. They're   
what attacked Vejiita-san and Seiika-san." Trunks agreed with his   
Saiya-jiin partner. 

"I was up with Kami when they landed. He sent me to warn   
you if you did not already know." Piccolo pointed out. 

Bulma rubbed her chest. "We knew." She nodded in Trunks   
and Tobuma's direction. "They're the ones that destroyed the   
Drones that attacked Vejiita and Seiika." 

The others stopped eating and stared at the young Saiya-jiin.   
"How did you know how to defeat them?" Goku spoke, staring at   
them intently. 

"And how did you know where they'd attack?" Ranma asked,   
glancing in-between them intermittently. 

Tobuma glanced at his partner, who sighed and shrugged and   
nodded. "Alright, well, we can tell you this much. You need to know   
it as well. The Hachi Drones have no ki to speak of. You can't sense   
them. The only good thing about that is that they can't use ki   
attacks." 

"But that doesn't mean they can't use ki. What they do is   
absorb yours, through special dics that each Drone comes outfitted   
with, and send it back to you, at incredible speeds." Trunks added. 

Akane nodded. "We found that out the hard way." 

Tobuma glanced at Akane. "Hai. They are fast, and maneuver   
rapidly. But if you destroy the discs, then using ki is fine, for they   
have no way to defend themselves against the blasts." 

Trunks smiled. "Or you could use regular, old-fashioned,   
hand-to-hand combat, which Tobu-kun tends to do. I prefer to use   
my sword. It works fast, and well." Several of the senshi nodded,   
filing the information away for future use. 

"But how did you know? I've never heard of them before."   
Ranma persisted, wanting his questions answered. 

"Well..." Trunks nodded at Tobuma to continue. "We have   
faced the Hachi before, and know what to expect." 

"They were on Chikyuu before?" Kurillin exclaimed. "When?   
Why didn't we know about this?" Others murmured their   
agreement. 

Trunks shook his head. "Iie. They've never been to Chikyuu   
before." 

"But how..." 

"We are not truly from Chikyuu, or this time's Chikyuu."   
Tobuma began slowly. "We are from the future." 

Silence enfolded the senshi. "Future?" Gohan stammered.   
"Our future?" 

Another meaningful glance, and a slight nod answered. 

"Then that means..." Bulma trailed off, answering her own   
question silently. 

"We are your future, and the only ones left." 

Everyone's jaws dropped in amazement. "How far into the   
future?" Akane asked quietly. 

Trunks furrowed his eyebrows. "Almost nineteen years." 

ChiChi put a hand on her cheek. "If you're the only ones left,   
then that means we are all..." 

"Gone." Trunks said flatly, eyes closed. 

"How?" Akane whispered, clutching Ranma's arm tightly. He   
looked down at her in concern; her face was pale and as he watched   
her, he could see her tremble every so often. He sent a wave of love   
and comfort to her through their Link, but received a shaky   
response. 

"The Hachi attacked, and the sheer number of them was   
overwhelming. They took you by surprise. You were able to resist   
the onslaught for awhile, but as your numbers dwindled, so did the   
resistance." Tobuma explained. 

"The Hachi are bee creatures: antennae, wings, and all. They   
are incapable of reproducing, so they infest other worlds and   
assimilate them into their own by changing the DNA of a species.   
That's another use of the discs. They latch onto the chest and   
inject tiny nanoprobes into the bloodstream. That's what changes   
the DNA." 

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "The process is   
very fast, and very painful. But it can not be reversed. Once the   
nanoprobes start assimilating the chromosomes, it can not be   
stopped. The only humane thing that can be done is to, well, you get   
the idea." He glanced around the room. Every face was trained on   
him, and most were a shade of pasty white. 

Ranma rubbed his neck, feeling the tension in the room   
accumulating there within seconds. "So when do we die? When and   
where's the big battle?" 

Tobuma winced at the bluntness of his question. "Well, the   
'big battle' is in just over six months, but not everyone dies then.   
Some earlier, some later." 

"The most recent was one week ago." Trunks said quietly,   
turning away from the assembled group. Tobuma laid a hand on his   
friend's shoulder. 

"Who was it, Trunks-san? Was the person close to you?" 

Bulma asked quietly, getting up and going over to him, placing a   
comforting hand on his shoulder. She knelt down so she could see   
into his lowered gaze. 

He glanced at her, mesmerized by her blue eyes. Pain flashed   
across his features, grief striking him mute. Bulma was patient with   
the young Saiya-jiin, rubbing his knee in comfort. After a few   
moments of silence, he hoarsely whispered, "It was my 'Kaasan." 

Bulma let out a noise of surprise, not used to seeing a senshi   
of such caliber breaking down in front of her. She wrapped Trunks   
up in her embrace. "It's alright, let it out." She smoothed down his   
strangely soft purple locks as he clutched desperately at her shirt.   
She felt it become moist with his tears. 

Vejiita scowled in their direction, a small bit of jealousy   
worming its way into his words. "Stop babying him, Onna. He's a   
senshi--death is part of war." 

Bulma just looked up at her jealous mate, fire dancing in her   
eyes. She felt very protective of this youth. For some unknown   
reason. "Shut up, Vejiita-baka. Let him grieve." The Prince just   
snorted and concentrated on his plate in front of him, ignoring and   
blocking the assurances she sent through their Bond. 

Tobuma watched Bulma comfort Trunks and inadvertently   
sighed aloud. Akane noticed the yearning look on his face and   
scooted closer to the tri-colored Saiya-jiin. "Do you miss your   
Okaasan, too, Tobuma-san?" 

He jumped slightly at her touch on his shoulder. He turned   
to face her and was met with soft dark-brown eyes. He shook his   
head, surprising Akane with his reaction. "Iie, I never knew my   
Okaasan. She died a month after I was born." 

"How sad!" She exclaimed. "I know how you feel. My Chikyuu   
'Kaasan died when I was small, too. I don't remember much about   
her." 

Tobuma continued to stare into Akane's face with wide,   
unblinking eyes. She met his gaze with one of her own, and deep   
within his dark-brown depths, something stirred an unknown   
sensation in her chest. She felt connected to this youth, but didn't   
know how. She broke the gaze and smiled softly. "Can I ask you a   
question, Tobuma?" He nodded, still staring. "Who are your   
parents?" 

Tobuma finally broke his trance, blinking a few times. He   
blushed slightly and shook his head. "I can't say..." 

"Tobu-kun, tell her. Tell them. It really doesn't matter   
anymore, does it? They've almost figured it out already." A muffled   
Trunks spoke from Bulma's lap, face still buried in her shirt. 

Tobuma looked torn. "But Trunks-kun, what about our   
present?" 

The purple-haired Saiya-jiin senshi looked up with a pained   
expression and into the troubled eyes of his partner. "What   
present? There is no present for us, not anymore, unless you want   
to become a Drone, or die by a Drone's hands. Their future is our   
present. Maybe if we can prevent our present from happening, then   
their future will be different. And so will our present." He laid his   
head down in Bulma's lap, as if it were the most natural thing to do.   
Bulma smiled down tenderly at the male and placed a comforting   
hand on his head. 

Tobuma furrowed his eyebrows a moment, trying to sort   
through Trunks' dialogue. He could see the logic within it, but   
something tugged at him in the corner of his subconscious mind. He   
sighed and nodded, standing up and moving over to the big bay   
window in the center of the room. 

He watched the morning's sunrise break over the eastern   
horizon and after a few moments, all thoughts collected, he spoke   
calmly and clearly. His tail twitched back and forth, betraying his   
feelings. All eyes and ears were riveted on him. "My Okaasan died a   
month after I was born. She was captured by the Hachi, and made   
the Queen of the Chikyuu Hive. She still lives on Chikyuu, and rules   
over the Drones there. Like we said before, she is lost to us, and   
that is why I consider her gone." 

"My 'Tousan died a few months ago, and when he left us, the   
fight for Chikyuu faded as well. He was the one that trained me and   
Trunks-kun in the way of the Art and as senshi against the Hachi.   
Trunks and I continued on, but it wasn't the same. The Hachi knew   
of his death, and increased their efforts to get the few remaining   
Humans that we protected to assimiliate them into their own."   
Tobum sighed and shook his head. "But all our best efforts were for   
nothing, and in vain. As we said earlier, we were the last two on   
Chikyuu unassimiliated. Everyone else was dead or a Drone." 

He placed a warm hand on the cool glass and continued with   
his dialogue. "When Trunks' 'Kaasan died last week, it was then we   
decided to use the time machine that she had built. She had   
thought that if we could prevent the Hachi from attacking and   
succeeding at taking over Chikyuu as their next Hive, it would change   
the course of history, and none of our pain and suffering would have   
happened." 

"But who are your parents?" Goku asked. "If you're   
Saiya-jiin, then you must have Saiya-jiin parents." Everyone looked   
at the four present Saiya-jiin adults in question. 

Tobuma nodded. He watched the sun rise higher in the sky   
for a few moments and turned around. He made a complete circle   
around the table and stopped in front of two. 

Ranma and Akane. 

He bowed deeply. "Kon'nichi wa, I am Saotome Tobuma,   
Crown Prince of the Chikyuu no Saiya-jiin, and Heir to the Saiya-jiin   
Empire." 

Everyone was silent as Ranma and Akane stared slack-jawed   
at the silent Tobuma. "You're our son?" Akane finally spoke. He   
nodded slowly, searching their faces for any positive reaction. 

Akane reached out, and brushed her fingers across his cheek.   
Tobuma closed his eyes with a soft sigh. "But how..." 

Ranma snorted, crossing his arms. "I really don't have to   
explain that to you, do I, Akane?" Both Tobuma and Akane blushed   
and she shook her head, drawing her hand back. Tobuma opened his   
eyes, mourning the loss of contact. 

Bulma blinked a few times and stared down at the young   
Saiya-jiin in her lap. "Then who are..." 

Trunks stood and compsed himself. He bowed in front of   
Bulma and Vejiita, with a wide sweep of his arms. "Kon'nichi wa. I   
am Shichi no Vejiita-ouji, Crown Prince of Vejiita-sei, Heir to the   
Saiya-jiin Empire." He relaxed his posture and gave Bulma a wink   
and a smile. "But please, call me Trunks." 

Bulma's eyes widened slowly as he went through his   
introduction. After a few moments of silence, Bulma muttered to   
herself, "Oh my. That's a mouthful, isn't it? I can see why we   
decided to just call you Trunks." She stood and circled the newly   
identified young Prince. When she completed her circle, she   
reached out and turned his face from side to side, nodding,   
declaring out loud. "You look exactly like your Otousan, except with   
my coloring." 

Vejiita's eyes could not have been open any wider. He was   
blown away by Trunks' declaration of his 'titles', and Bulma's   
statement. Shichi no Vejiita? The Seventh? He was the Sixth in   
the Royal line of the House of Vejiita-sei, but then that meant... 

Goku scratched his head, confused. "You're Saiya-jiin, right,   
Trunks, Tobuma?" 

He nodded, smiling at the older male. "Hai, I am half   
Saiya-jiin, half Human, like Gohan-kun. Tobuma is full-blooded." 

"Then who's your Otousan?" Goku was lost, trying to   
remember that mess of words he rattled off. He got confused   
within all the titles, although a few words sounded familiar... 

Bulma sighed and sat down again, shaking her head. Vejiita   
snorted loudly and frowned in his direction. "If you couldn't tell,   
Kakarotto-baka, by the title he stated, then you truly are a lost   
cause to the intelligent." Bulma slapped him on the shoulder, and he   
scowled darkly in her direction. ChiChi growled slightly, and   
whispered the answer in Goku's ear. 

The room was silent, eyes going back and forth between   
Vejiita, Bulma and Trunks. 

Goku's face lit up after ChiChi explained the situation to him.   
"You're Trunks' 'Tousan, Vejiita?" He looked Vejiita up and down,   
impressed. "I didn't think you'd be a papa, ever!" 

Vejiita snorted and stood up, throughly disgusted by all the   
talk and conversation topic. He stalked away and glared out the   
window, effectively ignoring everyone in the room, and covering the   
blush that threatened to heat up his face. 

Tobuma had been watching Ranma and Akane, who were   
silently watching Tobuma. The young male spoke quietly. "It's an   
honor to finally meet you, Seiika-oujo. 'Tousan would talk about you   
all the time--at times it seemed like you were actually there." 

Akane smiled, wrapping her tail around Ranma. She studied   
the male in front of her and saw similarities of both her and Ranma   
in his features. He definitely had Ranma's hair, face and body   
stature--he was a tall one. He had her eyes, and--Vejiita's widow's   
peak? Well, not as drastic as her brother's, but still his hairline   
came to a point on his forehead. It must be in her genes. And that   
hair! It's everywhere! It sloped to the right, like Ranma's, and if   
she remembered, before he went Super Saiya-jiin, it was in a braid,   
too, like Ranma's. She looked at her mate, noticing for the time that   
his hair wasn't in the familiar pigtail. "Ranma," he turned to her in   
question. "Where's your pigtail?" 

Ranma blinked a few times and smiled, running his hand   
through his wild locks. They bounced right back into their original   
position, pointing to the right. "Well, I tried to put it back into the   
braid after we went Oozaru that first time, but it's so stiff now,   
the braid looked really weird sticking out sideways." He shrugged.   
"I think the Dragon whisker helped control it, but it's gone." He   
flashed her a cheesy grin and winked. "Why? Do you want it back in   
the braid?" 

Akane shrugged back and smiled, patting his knee. "It doesn't   
matter to me. It's your hair. I just realized that you haven't had it   
in for awhile. I remembered that Tobuma here had his in a braid,   
and his is out now, as well." 

Tobuma smiled and reached behind him, pulling out a string   
from sub-space. He reached up and quickly did his hair back into   
the braid. "It explodes out of the braid everytime I go Super   
Saiya-jiin." He finished and turned his head around, to show them   
the long plait that reached halfway down his back, but curled up at   
the end. "The longer it is, the better it stays down." 

Gohan spoke for the first time in awhile. "Tobuma-san, can I   
ask you a question?" He turned and nodded at the youngest   
Saiya-jiin. "Is your hair naturally those colors?" 

Tobuma chuckled and shook his head, the said hair bouncing   
along. "Iie, Gohan-kun, it's not. I had it all black when I was young,   
but when I could, I dyed one 'branch' midnight blue in honor of my   
Okaasan, and when 'Tousan died, I dyed the other red in his   
memory." 

Gohan blinked, looking at the uncomfortable Ranma and   
Akane, and then back at Tobuma. "Oh. I can see the blue for   
Seiika-oujo, but why red for Serori-san? He doesn't have red hair." 

Akane smiled wide and giggled slightly. "Well, 'Ranko' does."   
She studied the colors. "The color is perfect." She patted Tobuma   
on the knee. "That's a thoughtful memorial to your parents,   
Tobuma-kun." 

He blushed and nodded, fingering his pigtail. "Arigato.   
Kasumi-Obaasan thought of it, and Bulma-Obaasan created the dye.   
It's pernament, so I never have black roots." He glanced at Bulma   
and smiled. "It was her own recipe." Bulma blushed as several   
questioning looks were directed her way. 

"Nani?" She thrust her chin out arrogantly. "So I dye my   
hair. Where do you think Trunks got his purple hair? Certainly not   
from Vejiita." A loud snort came from the window. 

Followed by a vehement statement. "Protect the Princess."   
Everyone glanced at the Prince, still facing away from the group.   
Several were confused by the drastic topic switch. 

"What did you say, Vejiita?" The silent Piccolo spoke from a   
corner. 

He turned around and stared hard at Akane. "Bulma said in   
her dream, 'Protect the Princess.' Her dream was when you were   
taken by the Hachi." 

Ranma swore softly to himself. "Akane, that's right!" He   
swore again. "They're always after you. Why you?" 

Akane scooted closer to him and wrapped him in her embrace.   
He pulled her into his lap and buried his face into her shoulder.   
"Why you, Hima-chan?" 

Trunks spoke from Bulma's lap. "The Hachi need a strong   
female to be Queen of the Hive. Seiika-oujo is most likely the   
strongest female on Chikyuu, especially in Super Saiya-jiin form.   
She was the most logical choice." Several others nodded in   
agreement. 

Ranma looked up into Akane's face, his gaze hard and steely.   
"Well, they won't get her. Over my dead and decaying body, they   
will not touch one hair on her head." 

Akane brushed his bangs out of his face and smiled slightly.   
"I know that won't, Baby. I won't allow them to take me." She   
leaned forward and nipped his nose lightly, resting her forehead   
against his and closing her eyes. 

"That's another reason we're here, as well." Tobuma spoke.   
He motioned to Trunks and Bulma. "Bulma-obaasan thought that the   
capture and assimilation of Seiika-san was the turning point in the   
war with the Hachi. It was the main motivation for the time   
machine." Trunks nodded in agreement. 

"It was?" Bulma wondered aloud. "I built a time machine?"   
Trunks smiled at his future mother and nodded. "I must be a pretty   
smart girl to play with the quantum mechanics that a time machine   
would require." She winked at Trunks. 

"What is the date of Seiika's capture?" Vejiita moved from   
the window to in front of Bulma and Trunks and demanded the   
information with an intense look on his face. 

Trunks closed his eyes, a thoughtful look crossing his   
features. "About seven months from today." 

Akane looked up sharply from Ranma's embrace. "Seven   
months?" Trunks glanced at Tobuma questionably; he shrugged and   
nodded to Akane. 

Akane glanced at Ranma then at Bulma and Vejiita, then at   
the two young males. "Honto? I have a few questions, boys." She   
hopped off Ranma's lap and moved back into her chair. Ranma gave a   
grunt of protest, but her tail around his leg smothered his protests.   
Trunks and Tobuma nodded, signaling her to continue. 

"How old are you two?" 

Tobuma replied, "We're both eighteen years old." 

Akane shook her head in disbelief. "You're the same age as   
Ranma and I, now. How can I be a mother so early?" Ranma looked   
at her in concern, but she shook off his inquiry. "Okay, next   
question. How far apart are you in age?" 

Trunks answered that one. "We were actually born only a day   
apart. I'm the older one, though. That's why I have the longer   
title." 

Tobuma snorted, an old argument resurfacing old feelings.   
"That's only because you were born first, you half-breed gaki."   
Trunks looked over at Tobuma and rolled his eyes, sticking his   
tongue out in retaliation. 

Akane went pale. "Oh my." She laid a hand on her stomach   
and closed her eyes. She soon flung them open once more, wide in   
surprise. "Oh my!" 

Ranma became worried. "What's wrong, Akane? What are   
you getting at?" 

Vejiita frowned slightly, then knelt down by Bulma. "Move,   
gaki," he commanded to Trunks. The purple-haired Saiya-jiin quickly   
complied. 

Bulma frowned at Vejiita's attitude. "What's wrong, Vejiita?" 

He glanced at her. "Hush, Onna." He put a hand on Bulma's   
stomach, fingers splayed, and closed his eyes. His hand glowed   
slightly; he opened his eyes wide, but kept his hand on her stomach. 

Bulma let out a gasp and placed a hand over his. "What did   
you do, Vejiita? What was that?" 

He grunted and shook his head. "I'd forgotten about that   
part of the Bonding." 

Akane asked Vejiita, "Is she?" 

He nodded. "Hai." He stood up and walked over to Akane and   
repeated the process. "You are, too." She nodded her head. She   
had figured that out already. 

Bulma, Ranma, and everyone else in the room were throughly   
confused. They had the slightest clue about what was going on.   
"Will someone tell me what in the hell is happening?" Both Ranma   
and Bulma shouted together. 

Vejiita stood and moved over to Bulma once more, repeating   
the process again, Bulma grunting at the sensation she felt. He   
nodded and stood up, crossing his arms. "Onna, you're pregnant.   
Seiika is too." He nodded towards the wide-eyed Tobuma and   
Trunks. "With them." 

The room collectively gasped in astonishment. Bulma placed her   
hand on her stomach and gazed in Trunks' direction. He blushed   
considerably. "Are you sure, Vejiita?" 

"Do you doubt me? That was the gaki's ki you felt." 

Ranma stared at Akane, jaw hanging open. "You're pregnant?   
How?" Akane rolled her eyes. "I know _how_, Akane, it's just..." he   
trailed off, not knowing how to phrase his question. 

Vejiita spoke rather crudely. "The Mating Ceremony creates   
the infant. It is a product of the Union, and certifies the Bond is   
complete." He turned back to the window staring out into the light   
once more. 

Bulma tapped her chin, thinking things through. "So, every   
time a Bond forms, so does a child?" Vejiita said nothing in reply,   
only frowning deeper. 

ChiChi glanced at her family, smiling slightly. She ruffled her   
son's unruly hair. "It's true, now that I think about it. Gohan-chan   
was conceived on our wedding night." Gohan looked up at his mother   
and blushed slightly at being the center of attention. 

Eveyone swung their gaze over to the loud scraping back of a   
chair as Yamucha violently shoved himself away from the table and   
stormed out of the room. Bulma watched his retreating back and   
frowned to herself, a slightly worried look flashing across her face   
for a moment. 

Kurillin found his friend's reaction confusing as well and   
commented out loud. "Hey, what's up with Yamucha? It's not like   
him and Bulma were going out anymore, ne, Bulma?" 

She nodded. "We broke up for good several months ago, but   
there was really nothing going on between us for quite some time   
before that. I better go talk to him." She stood up and was about   
to leave the room, but was stopped by ChiChi's hand on her arm. 

"Leave him be. It's not your concern anymore, is it, Bulma?   
He just needs to deal with it in his own way." ChiChi patted her arm   
and smiled slightly when Bulma sat back down. 

She reluctantly nodded, sighing heavily. "You're right, of   
course, ChiChi. It's his problem, if he hasn't gotten over me yet."   
She glanced at the silent, stiff figure of her mate looking out the   
window. She could feel, and sense, that his gaze was burning into   
her, watching her every move and reaction to the news through the   
reflection in the glass. She smiled softly and directed a strong wave   
of love through their Bond. 

He nodded slightly and sent back a fierce flame of passion to   
her. She blushed at the onslaught and spoke again, brushing Trunks'   
hair back like a child's, whose head had found its way back into her   
lap once more. "I've been over Yamucha for awhile, and have moved   
on." 

Kurillin had been silently counting, trying to figure out why   
the numbers and dates didn't match up. "Um, excuse me, but doesn't   
it take longer for a baby to be born? Like around nine months? If I   
figured it out correctly, then they would be born in six." 

Bulma nodded. "You're right, Kurillin. A Human child is born   
in nine months, but a Saiya-jiin child only needs six months to grow,   
and if a gestation tank is used, then only three months." 

"How did you know that, Bulma?" Kurillin asked. 

ChiChi nodded as well. "I thought Gohan was born premature   
when he arrived after six months, but he was normal size, and I was   
very large, as well." A flash of pain crossed her face. "The   
pregnancy was very difficult, Bulma-chan. The labor was even   
worse." She rubbed her stomach in rememberance. "You two will   
have to be careful. And eat lots. All I did was eat." 

Goku nodded, smiling at the memory. "She gave me a run for   
my money at the table!" ChiChi rolled her eyes at her husband and   
mate's enthusiasm at the mention of food. 

"How did you know all of that information about Saiya-jiin   
births, Bulma?" Kurillin asked again, slightly upset he was being   
ignored. 

Vejiita grunted at all the talk and turned slightly to face the   
room, focusing on the two females in his life. "They won't have to   
worry about the birth process, because the gaki will be put into   
gestation tanks that Onna will build." 

Akane and Bulma both snapped their heads up and glared at   
the Prince. "No, you won't!" 

Bulma's face began to get red as her temper flared. "I have   
always wanted a child, Vejiita! I will carry it to term, and that's   
final! You can not replace the bond that forms between a mother   
and her child!" Her eyes were wide and you could see the blue   
depths swirling wildly with her passionate words. 

Akane glared at Ranma. "That goes for me, too, Ranma. Don't   
even think of crossing me with such an insensitive process!" Her   
aura flared to life and she gave him a good impression of her   
adoptive father's demon head technique. 

Everyone, including Vejiita, ducked for cover as Akane's   
temper started to rear its ugly head. Ranma let out a squeal of   
shock and threw his hands up over his head to protect himself.   
"Akane, calm down! Get a hold of yourself! Think about it, though.   
What if the Hachi attack and you get injured, even worse than what   
happened this morning? What will happen to the unborn baby?   
What if you miscarry?" 

Akane's aura flashed bright as she flared into Super   
Saiya-jiin. "I don't care! It's the risk I'm willing to take." She   
huffed and puffed, her anger and tears making her judgement and   
eyes cloudy. 

Ranma lowered his arms and wrapped them around his mate.   
"I'm only thinking of you and the baby, Hima-chan. You don't have to   
use the gestation tanks if you don't want to." She nodded and   
calmed down enough to drop out of Super Saiya-jiin. He rubbed her   
back, making soothing noises as she cried on his shoulder. "You'll   
also have to stop training." She looked up, ready to argue once again,   
but he stopped her with a glare. "I mean it, Akane. Stop training, or   
the gestation tank." She frowned, but nodded, burying her head in   
his shoulder once more. 

When the Chikyuu senshi saw that things had returned to   
normal, or as normal as it got for them, they rose from their hiding   
spots and filtered out of the room, leaving Bulma, Vejiita, Ranma,   
Akane, Tobuma and Trunks alone in the room. 

Tobuma and Trunks watched their 'parents' from the   
sidelines. "Trunks-kun, did you ever think you do something like   
this?" 

He shook his head and glanced at his cousin. "Iie, Tobu-kun,   
never." His sharp eyes took in his 'parents' as they argued back and   
forth the benefits and dangers of natural childbirth versus   
gestation tank birth. His face grew brighter as he saw that Bulma   
was going to be the victor in this battle. He watched as Vejiita   
reluctantly nodded his head. Bulma's face lit with joy and she   
showed her appreciation by leaping into his arms. Trunks' smirk   
turned into a smile and he sighed softly when Vejiita wrapped his   
arms around his young Okaasan and returned the affection. "I never   
thought I'd meet my Otousan, either. 'Kaasan did him justice in her   
stories. He really is a cranky, stubborn fool." Vejiita glanced his   
way at the comment and scowled darkly, but did not release Bulma.   
Trunks gulped and smiled weakly. "With very sensitive ears." 

Tobuma chuckled at his best friend. "Ooh, busted!" He   
sighed as well as he watched Ranma and Akane talking quietly, softly   
touching each other; Ranma brushing his hand across Akane's still   
flat stomach. "I understand, Trunks-kun. Even though I've seen her   
in the Hive and in pictures 'Tousan and Kasumi-Obaasan had, it's   
nothing like meeting her in person, before the Hive changed her."   
Both Ranma and Akane stood up and tail in tail, stepped towards the   
two future Saiya-jiin. 

Akane spoke quietly. "Tobuma, could we talk to you for a few   
minutes?" He looked startled, but nodded slowly. Akane smiled and   
held out her hand. 

Tobuma stared at the outstretched gesture nervously, and   
slowly reached out to grasp it within his own roughened one. Akane's   
warm hand wrapped around his as her smile wrapped around his   
heart. 

He glanced over at his young father and saw his face mirror   
his mate's. Tobuma gave Ranma a shy smile, and with a glance back   
at his cousin, followed his parents out of the room. 

Which left Trunks alone with Bulma and Vejiita. The three   
sat in an uncomfortable silence for many moments, until Bulma broke   
the silence by clearing her throat. "Trunks-kun, why don't you sit   
over here, and we'll talk, ne?" 

He nodded and moved closer. Vejiita just stared at his   
future son, taking in his stature and features. When Trunks sat in   
the chair next to Bulma, he snorted and stood directly behind Bulma,   
and faced the window.   
  
  



	16. Fight! Part One

A Tail To Remember   
by Gie: (phowahcs.com) 

A Tail To Remember   
Chapter Fifteen: Fight! Part One 

(backing up slightly...it sounded weird where I left off...) 

Which left Trunks alone with Bulma and Vejiita. The three   
sat in an uncomfortable silence for many moments, until Bulma broke   
the silence by clearing her throat. "Trunks-kun, why don't you sit   
over here, and we'll talk, ne?" 

He nodded and moved closer. Vejiita just stared at his   
future son, taking in his stature and features. When Trunks sat in   
the chair next to Bulma, he snorted and stood directly behind Bulma,   
and faced the window. 

Bulma just rolled her eyes. She gave Trunks an encouraging   
smile. "So tell us about yourself, Trunks-kun." 

The uncomfortable purple-haired Saiya-jiin shifted around in   
his chair. "What do you want to know?" 

She shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever you want. What   
kind of things do you like? Hobbies?" She winked. "Girlfriends?"   
Vejiita just snorted his displeasure at the topics. 

Trunks blushed slightly and shrugged his shoulders. "Well,   
Tobu-kun and I train together quite a bit. Serori-ojisan pushed us   
hard, to protect the unassimiliated Humans and to defeat the Hachi   
once and for all." 

"Well, what did you do when you weren't training?" 

"I'd help 'Kaasan out in her lab. She'd always be inventing   
things to help us live better or defeat the Hachi." 

Bulma smiled slightly. "You inherited my brains, didn't you?"   
She glanced over her shoulder at Vejiita. "You certainly didn't get   
them from your 'Tousan." The male being insulted just huffed and   
ignored the other two. 

Trunks shrugged his shoulders modestly and smiled at her   
barb. "Well, 'Kaasan said I did, but I never thought of myself in her   
league." 

Bulma leaned back against the strong figure of the Saiya-jiin   
behind her, and received a tail coiled around her neck lightly in   
response. She petted it absently as she stared into the air. "You   
grew up without Vejiita there, didn't you?" 

Trunks glanced up at the silent male in question and nodded.   
"Hai. He died when I was young. Not in the battle of   
Seiika-obaasan capture, but a few years later." 

Vejiita spoke finally, not turning away from the window. "Was   
it death, or capture and assimilation?" 

"Death. A Hachi leader, not Seiika-obaasan," he clarified   
quickly, "killed him in battle. But it was a double death--he killed the   
Hachi leader as well." 

Bulma looked intrigued, albeit a tad confused. "How is that   
possible?" 

Trunks glanced up at Vejiita again. "Otousan self-destructed,   
taking the Hachi leader with him." 

Vejiita finally turned around and stared at his future son, a   
fierce mask covering his features. "At least it was in battle--the   
way it should have been, and the way a Saiya-jiin senshi deserves.   
With honor, fighting for something he protects and believes in." He   
unraveled his tail from Bulma's neck and sat down next to her,   
wrapping it around her arm. She brought her furred arm into her   
lap and stroked the tail that was wrapped tightly around it. The   
smooth motions elicted a warm purr from her mate and a swirl of   
blazing passion through their Link. 

Bulma closed her eyes, controlling her own response to   
Vejiita's torrent of emotions. She asked Trunks another question.   
"So who raised you?" 

Trunks felt slightly warm from the heat given off by the   
mated pair that he would one day call his parents. "Well, 'Kaasan was   
there, and so was Serori-ojisan. I don't remember Otousan all that   
well. I was still fairly young when he died. Serori-ojisan's family   
would stop by, but then, they too, were captured by the Hachi, or   
killed." 

"Was it lonely growing up there? Did you have any   
playmates?" She asked concernedly. 

He nodded. "I had Tobuma with me at all times. We're more   
like brothers, than cousins. There were some Human children   
around here and there, but I really didn't associate with them much.   
They were afraid of mine and Tobuma's power." He hesitated and   
spoke softly, head lowered. "There was also Maiize." 

Bulma raised an eyebrow at Vejiita, who looked slightly   
interested. "Maiize? That's a Saiya-jiin name, isn't it?" 

He nodded, glancing up at his parents. "Maiize was a   
Saiya-jiin. She died in a Hachi attack when she was very young. She   
was not assimilated like others. The Hachi soon found out that   
trying to make a Saiya-jiin into a Drone was almost next to   
impossible." He smirked at a memory. "Serori-ojisan was almost   
assimilated once, but his curse was activated, and the nanoprobes   
got confused and deactivated. The Hachi just gave up tryng to   
asssimiate the senshi with tails. So they killed us, instead." 

Bulma looked surprised. "Honto? I wonder why they didn't   
try. You'd think Saiya-jiin would make strong Drones." 

Trunks nodded. "We would, but it was impossible to change   
us. 'Kaasan did some research, and found out that Saiya-jiin DNA   
refused to be assimilated, and would try to attack the nanoprobes   
within the bloodstream." 

Bulma laughed out loud. "Figures!" She poked Vejiita in the   
tail on her lap. "Even your DNA is stubborn, Otoko!" He just   
grunted and smirked. 

Bulma then blinked a few times, a look of question flashing   
across her smooth features. "Serori-kun still has his curse? Why   
didn't he use the Dragonballs to wish it away?" 

"The Dragonballs were inactive right up until they faded out   
of existance when Piccolo-san died in the battle of Seiika-obaasan's   
capture." Trunks explained patiently. He smiled once more. "I think   
he also kept it, or stopped looking for a different cure, when   
Tobuma was born. I think Serori-ojisan wanted him to have a female   
figurehead in his life, besides 'Kaasan. His female side did all the   
comforting when Tobuma was young." 

Bulma wiped a few stray tears away at his explanation.   
"That's so considerate of Serori-kun! So selfless of him. I know he   
really doesn't like turning female." She sobered up swiftly, though.   
"You never answered the first question, though. Who's Maiize?"   
Vejiita leaned forward slightly, wanting to hear the answer. 

Trunks shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Maiize died very   
young. I don't remember much about her, only a few snatches here   
and there. The only concrete thing I remember is that she had blue   
eyes and black hair." He reached behind himself and from his   
sub-space pocket, brought out a framed picture. He stared at it for   
a few moments, and continued with his explanation. "She died a   
month after this was taken." He silently handed it to Bulma. 

Bulma took the picture within her hands and gasped at the   
photo. It showed a scene of four people in a park setting. Bulma   
was sitting on a park bench, and had a three year-old Trunks in her   
lap, both were smiling and waving at the camera. Vejiita stood in   
front of the bench, his nose in the air, and arms crossed. He was   
looking down at the ground with a slight smile curving at his lips. 

For on the ground was a one year-old girl, Maiize, sitting on   
his boot-covered foot, her arms and legs wrapped tightly around his   
well-muscled leg. In one small hand, a small clump of wildflowers   
were clutched tightly. She had on a black skirt and a pink blouse,   
with the words 'I'm Papa's girl!' printed in black on the back. She   
was looking up into the face of her Papa, sheer adoration spread   
across her delicate features. 

She was an almost exact duplicate of Vejiita, only female.   
Her stiff, black hair stuck out in wildly jutting flames, only to have a   
pink ribbon tied at the end. A jutting widow's peak came to a point   
in the middle of her forehead, where two bushy eyebrows   
highlighted deep blue eyes. She was glad something of hers was   
present in the adorable child. Bulma traced her fingers over the   
figures, and she smiled when she saw Maiize and Vejiita's tails   
tangled around each other in a deliberate embrace. It was a picture   
of a happy family. She silently handed it to Vejiita and watched   
with a deep satisfaction as his eyes grew round as he learned the   
identity of the mysterious Saiya-jiin female. 

_His daughter._

Vejiita's battle-roughened fingers gently touched the smooth   
glass that separated him from the paper-thin future of his race. 

A daughter. When his thoughts always drifted to his future   
heir, the spawn of his loins, he always imagined a male. Strong in   
stature and spirit. A senshi worthy of the title of Vejiita-ouji,   
Crown Prince of Vejiita-sei, Heir to the Saiya-jiin Empire. 

And, to his extreme surprise, he had found one in the   
purple-haired male across from him. To Vejiita's begrudgement, the   
light hair and eyes did nothing to alter the fact. Hopefully, with   
vigorous training, the unborn spawn that Bulma carried now will   
surpass the skill level of the future spawn that sat in front of him. 

But a female? 

He smirked silently to himself. Seiika is a perfect example of   
the female Saiya-jiin. Bold, strong, fiery--a temper that wouldn't   
quit, and a spirit that wouldn't die. He noted the small Maiize's   
worshipping expression, and his future self's small smile of pride.   
That little mound of hair and fur was his future self's pride and joy   
given life. 

_ His soul._

With one last glance, memorizing and engraving the small   
Saiya-jiin's features in his mind, he relinquished the picture back to   
its original owner. 

Trunks took the sacred picture back from Vejiita and placed   
it back into his pocket, but not after giving it one final glance. "We   
were at the park, having a picinic, and the Hachi attacked. Otousan   
and the Hachi leader, Rose, I believe his name was, clashed. The   
Hachi shot a blast at Maiize, who was standing off to one side, and   
killed her." He paused a moment, as both Bulma and Vejiita made a   
noise of surprise and shock. He gave his past father a glance and   
continued. "Otousan went into a blind rage and latched onto the   
Hachi; self-destructing and taking the Hachi with him." He sighed   
deeply and hung his head, continuing softly. "I personally don't   
remember that day--that's how 'Kaasan retold it to me." 

Trunks raised his head when he felt a hand on his knee.   
Bulma had tears in her eyes and a gentle smile on her lips. "It must   
have been awful to grow up in a war-torn world; always worrying   
when the next attack would surface." 

Trunks shrugged his shoulders, giving Bulma a reassurring   
look. "It wasn't the easiest life, but it's all I know. There were good   
times; we did have fun, and many of those times were when I was   
surrounded by family members and friends. I don't regret my life   
so far. Tobuma and I just hope we're able to make it better for   
everyone here." He stood up and bowed slightly. "I really should go   
find Tobu-kun. I may have had my spar of the morning," he gave   
Vejita a glance and smirked, "but he has not." 

Bulma stood and brought her future child into her arms and   
gave him a warm hug. "I understand, Trunks-chan. I want you to   
feel free to consider me your Okaasan, from now on." She released   
him and pecked him on his cheek. "I won't answer to anything but   
'Kaasan." She smiled when he nodded, getting a genuine smile in   
return. 

"Hai, Okaasan." 

Bulma elbowed Vejiita in the ribs. He glared at her and   
turned away. 

The blue-haired genius smiled. "Vejiita-chan says you can call   
him 'Tousan, too." Trunks nodded and with a slight bow, left the two   
alone to search for his cousin. 

Bulma sighed softly, staring in the direction Trunks departed.   
"He's so grown-up. Do you realize that he's only ten or twelve years   
younger than we are, now? I was a mother before I hit puberty." 

She jumped slightly when she felt a set of strong arms   
encircle her stomach, and a furred tail slide around her thigh.   
Leaning back into her mate's embrace, she sighed once again,   
bringing an arm up to caress his face. "Vejiita-chan, ano..." 

He nuzzled her ear with his nose. "Nani, Onna?" 

"What do you think of Trunks?" 

His teeth nipped gently at the nape of her neck. "Which one?   
The adult," he rubbed her still flat stomach with a gentle caress.   
"Or this one?" 

She smiled slightly and rested her hand upon his, which still   
rested on her stomach. "Either one, I guess." 

He grunted, burying his face in her strawberry-scented hair.   
"Mirai-Trunks is a senshi--he has seen the spoils of war. He grew up   
as a senshi--Serori did an adequate job training him. As for this   
one," he flared his ki slightly in his hand, letting Bulma feel the   
infant growing within her. Bulma gasped aloud at the foreign flicker   
jumping around in her stomach. "As for this one, he will be a great   
senshi, as well. Although, I will be the one to train him, not Serori." 

Bulma turned around in his embrace and bit him on the nose.   
"Hai, you will, Otoko. You still have a promise to keep to me." He   
nodded and she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him   
tight. 

After a few moments of silence, Vejiita mumbled. "What the   
hell kind of name is Trunks, anyway? That's not a proper Saiya-jiin   
name." 

Bulma leaned back, surprised at the topic. "Who cares? It is   
a proper Briefs name. All my family are named after articles of   
clothing." She smiled wickedly and brushed her teeth across his ear.   
"Besides, you get to name the next one." 

He grunted, and nipped her Mark. "He should be named   
Vejiita--all the male heirs are named that." 

Bulma frowned. "He is. Remember, Trunks-chan announced   
his 'title' when we found out we're his parents?" 

"He should be called Vejiita as well." 

Bulma sighed. "Trunks is just easier to say. Or we...they   
decided to call him that so there would be no confusion between the   
two of you--them. Whatever. I don't know." She was getting   
frustrated at his one-track stubborn streak. She rubbed the   
bridge of her nose in frustration. "Besides, what is he inheriting? A   
strip of rubble and an empty space?" Vejiita scowled and backed   
away from Bulma, the intimate and private moment ruined. 

An eyebrow twitched, a clear sign the Dark Prince was   
getting mad. "Onna, there is nothing left of my planet, and of my   
culture. There are only a few pure-blooded Saiya-jiins that exist,   
that I know of, plus a handful of half-breeds. Must you take   
everything away? I'm living on your planet. I'm following your baka   
laws. I might as well call myself a Human--do you want to cut off my   
tail, as well?" Vejiita's face was turning deep red--almost purple in   
anger. His aura was flashing bright, reflecting his rage. 

Bulma stepped closer to him, trying to calm his temper, but   
the heat of his anger was terribly intense. She had to step away   
from him to avoid becoming fried by his aura. "Vejiita, calm down!   
You're getting out of control!" Her face crumpled slightly, as she   
started to buckle under the emotions that flooded their Link. She   
was unable to stop the runaway train that railroaded her senses. 

Vejiita ignored her, or didn't hear her, he was so caught up in   
his anger. He started to pace back in forth, his rage rearing out of   
control. "Why do you want to take this away from me? It's part of   
me, of who I am, of how I was raised. Are you denying me my own   
heritage, my life, now?" His breath was becoming labored; he was   
panting through his embittered words. Bulma sank to her knees,   
clutching her chest, breath as shallow as her mate's. "Give me a   
collar--might as well tether me up to a doghouse and call me Fluffy!" 

Bulma was gasping for air--the emotions pounding her head   
and her heart were overwhelming her own body functions. She tried   
to call out to him to calm down, but she barely had enough air to   
breathe, even less to talk. She fell further to the ground, sweat   
plastering her hair to her forehead, and her clothes to her body. 

Her slight wheeze finally caught his attention.   
"Veh-jii-taa...pleassse..." He turned around, and saw the condition   
she was in. Her face was pale, and she was lying on the ground   
barely breathing. 

"Bulma!" He knelt next to her and brought her into his   
embrace, clutching her close to his chest. "Gomen nasai, Bulma. I   
forgot about our Bond. My emotions were out of control.   
Daijoubu?" 

Her breaths became deeper, and less labored, as Vejiita's   
anger left his mind, and consequentially, hers. "Daijoubu, Vejiita."   
She took a couple large gulps and sighed loudly. "I didn't realize this   
was such an issue for you, Vejiita. Do you really feel that way?"   
She pushed back, and looked into his eyes, searching for answers. 

Vejiita looked back into those clear, cool pools of blue and   
nodded slightly. "Hai, Bulma, I do. I am the last connection to my   
people and my culture. Kakarotto, Seiika and Serori may be   
full-blooded Saiya-jiin, but they were not raised as Saiya-jiin." 

"Don't Seiika and Serori remember their time on Vejiita-sei?"   
Bulma questioned, getting more comfortable in his lap. She leaned   
her head on his shoulder and traced intricate nonsense designs into   
his massively-toned chest. 

Vejiita responded by wrapping his arms around her and   
leaning his head on hers. "Hai, they do, but when they were sent   
off-planet, they were only four years old. When I went into   
Friiezer's army, I had Nappa, and then Radiitzu with me to teach me   
about my heritage. They had no one." 

They sat in each other's embrace for some time, quiet. Just   
enjoying the feeling of the other, and their presence. There was no   
need for words, anymore. Both felt sleep pecking away at their   
consciousness. 

But their intimate moment was broken when Ranma entered   
the room. He blushed at their position on the floor. "Gomen,   
Vejiita-ouji, Bulma-san." 

Bulma blinked away her sleepiness. "Oh, hey, Serori-kun.   
What is it?" She disentangled the hand that happened to somehow   
wind around Vejiita's tail and brushed her hair out of her eyes.   
Vejiita just gave Ranma a sour look and turned his head away from   
the young Saiya-jiin. 

Ranma blushed a little deeper and cleared his throat. "We   
need to go find and destroy the rest of those Drones, Vejiita-ouji,   
before they cause too much damage. The first group has left,   
already." Vejiita nodded. Ranma hesitated a moment, then left the   
two alone once more. 

Bulma sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I forgot   
about the rest of the Drones. You need to go." 

Vejiita shrugged and held her tighter, burying his face in her   
shoulder. "I can wait a minute." 

Bulma smiled and wormed her way out of his embrace. "You   
need to go now, Otoko. Chikyuu and her Humans can not wait that   
minute. Besides, I'm worried about Yamucha." 

Vejiita snorted at the mention of his mate's weakling excuse   
of an ex-lover. "He calls himself a senshi--he should be able to take   
care of himself." He stood up and walked over to the door. "Don't   
worry about him." He reached the entryway but was stopped by   
Bulma's call. 

"Vejiita--matte." 

He turned around and frowned. "Nani, Onna?" 

She casually walked up to him and threw her arms around him   
and brought his lips down into a passionate kiss. She released him,   
but kept her arms around his neck. "Aishiteru, Otoko." 

He smirked and bit her nose. He untangled himself from her   
embrace and continued outside. Just before he moved out of sight,   
he glanced over his shoulder at his slightly mussed mate. 

"Aishiteru, Bulma." And disappeared. 

Bulma sighed dreamily and laid a hand on her still-flat   
stomach, remembering the flicker from before. "You will grow up,   
Chibi, to know your 'Tousan. He promised." She sighed once more   
and glanced around the room, grimacing at the disater that still   
remained from breakfast. "My goodness, we sure know how to make   
a mess. I guess with seven Saiya-jiin, it should be expected." She   
snorted loudly, shaking her head. "The food bills around here are   
going to be astronomical. I've got to remember to activate more   
kitchen bots. We're definitely going to need them with two more   
Saiya-jiin appetites in the house." She moved over to a panel on the   
wall and signaled for some cleaning bots. She left the room, as well,   
and headed for her, no, their suite. She was tired and badly in need   
of a nap. 

Yamucha blindly ran into town. He didn't care where he was   
going, what he passed, or who he knocked down in his blatant   
attempt to escape. The only thing he knew was that he had to get   
away. 

_ Get away from her._

_ She, who he loved._

_ She, who doesn't love him._

_ She, who loves someone else._

Sure, they had their bumps in the road--hell, there were   
orange construction cones every step of the way, but they loved   
each other. They've been together for so long, and through so much,   
they had to. 

_ Didn't they?_

Bulma was the most lively creature that he had ever set eyes   
upon. She was his first love, and him, hers. She was the one that   
convinced him to switch over to the side of 'good,' rather than   
continue with his bandit ways. 

_ She didn't love him anymore._

Yamucha realized and admitted blatantly he would never be   
ready to settle down in the near future. He enjoyed living the life   
of a bachelor. Late nights, and even later mornings. Eating three   
day-old pizza and not having to put the toliet seat down. Yeah, it   
was great, living the bachelor life. No worries. 

_ She Bonded with another._

And he also realized he didn't make the best boyfriend,   
either. He had a rather lazy attitude toward women. His wandering   
libido usually got him into trouble. Especially with Bulma. Hey, you   
can look, but not touch, ne? But that's where he got into trouble.   
He had looked, and touched, and bought several. And Bulma was the   
one left to bear the bill. 

_ She's pregnant with another's child._

One of the biggest fights they ever had was that last one   
that broke them up for good. They had argued about the future,   
and what it had in store for the two of them, and their relationship.   
Things definitely weren't a bed of rose petals when he had   
mentioned that he wanted to play baseball again. This time, in   
America, for the major leagues. A team had offered him a contract,   
but he still needed to tell them he wanted to accept their offer.   
Bulma had adamantly refused, saying she wanted to settle down at   
Capsule Corp, and begin a family. She said that the party was over   
at midnight, and her biological clock was striking ten. He scoffed at   
her, and spat out that he didn't want or need the ties a family   
brought. He wasn't ready for the responsibility. Bulma exploded,   
and threw him out, telling him not to ever step foot on Capsule Corp   
property again. That was over four months ago. 

_ She chose Vejiita._

_ She chose Vejiita, the alien that killed him._

_ She's having Vejiita's child._

> Yamucha finally stopped running and bonelessly collapsed onto   
a nearby park bench. He was exhausted; more so from the emotional   
beating she gave him in his head, rather than from the run. 

He scanned his surroundings with tired, swollen eyes. There   
were a few people in the park this early in the morning. Some   
joggers and pet-walkers were taking advantage of the early morning   
sunshine and stillness that accompanied the sunrise. 

Yamucha sat and watched the people pass in front of him in   
their own little worlds, unaware of the existance of the others on   
the paths, even more unaware of the heartache that Yamucha   
experienced. An alien. She fell for a 'royal' pain-in-the-ass alien. 

What in the hell did that freaking alien have that he didn't? 

Or was Vejiita in the right place in the right time? 

Vejiita did live with her, which pissed Yamucha off to no   
extent. Vejiita was also there to pick up the fragile shards of   
Bulma's heart when they broke up. Each time. This time for good. 

_ Bastard._

He did have to admit, though, if anyone could handle the   
enigma of a female that was Bulma, it would have to be Vejiita. The   
Saiya-jiin Prince had a will and temper to match the blue-haired   
genius, and that was one thing that Yamucha definitely lacked. If   
they were meant to be together, than so be it. It wasn't like he   
could do anything to stop them. 

Yamucha stood up with a sigh and a grunt and started the   
long walk back to Capsule Corp. He needed to apologize to Bulma for   
his rude behavior, and to give her his congratulations. After all, he   
wasn't a heartless bastard, and they still cared for each other,   
albeit it was in the 'friends' category. 

At least he now had a buffer from Vejiita's anger. He   
snorted to himself. Or was it the other way around, and the buffer   
was from Bulma's anger? 

Yamucha's leisurely stroll and inner discussion was   
interrupted by a scream coming from a short distance away. He   
turned and with a determined look etched across his scarred   
features, ran to face what caused the piercing screams. 

When he reached the clearing, Yamucha stopped abruptly,   
shock causing his face to freeze. Six large black and white-striped   
bee-creatures were attacking the joggers and Humans that he   
observed earlier enjoying the peaceful morning. 

_ Hachi._

Yamucha let a string of curses fly that would have made   
Bulma proud. He now wished that he paid more attention to what   
the two new Saiya-jiin were saying, rather than the intoxicating   
beauty that the girl-guy-Saiya-jiin...Ranma radiated. He watched,   
frozen in horror, as two of the Hachi washed a green glow over two   
morning joggers, paralyzing them in mid-step. One of the pair of   
Hachi removed two of the metal discs attached to its arms and   
placed it on the chests of the frozen joggers. 

The joggers' screams of pain and horror shocked Yamucha   
out of his stupor of shock. He swallowed nervously and moved   
forward. "Hey, you...things! Leave those people alone!" He let loose   
a warning ki ball to accentuate his words. 

The two Hachi Drones turned simultaneously toward   
Yamucha, and twittered in between each other. They released the   
joggers from the paralyzing green forcefield, and began to advance   
on the lone Z Senshi. 

Yamucha backed up with each step they moved forward, a   
frightened look flashing across his features. He gathered his wits   
together, and bent down into a defensive stance. "All right, come   
and get it, you aliens." 

The two Drones glanced at each other and twittered once   
more. One turned around and removed the discs from the chests of   
the victims behind as the other started to advance on Yamucha. 

Yamucha threw several ki balls at the Hachi; it jumped out of   
the way, avoiding the shots with ease. "Kuso," Yamucha growled and   
continued his assault. "These things are rather quick." The Drone   
moved closer and when it was in range, threw the green paralyzing   
light over Yamucha. 

However, the scarred senshi wasn't about to let them take   
him so easily. He phased away from the light and let off another   
relay of ki. Several of these did hit the Drones--stunning them and   
causing minor damage. 

He smirked to himself. "These things aren't all that tough. I   
don't know why those two Saiya-jiin had such a hard time with   
them." Yamucha cockily closed the distance between the injured   
Hachi and released another ki blast, disintegrating his opponents. 

He wiped his hands clean and turned around, going to see how   
the two joggers were doing. But to his surprise, and downfall, four   
other Hachi Drones stood in front of him. He glanced around in vain,   
to see if anyone would be there to help him. But he was alone--the   
two joggers were even gone. 

He looked into the Drones' insect-like faces. All he saw was   
cold indifference--no emotion. 

Yamucha, though, was not going to go down without a fight.   
He flared his aura bright and gathered his ki into his hands. "All   
right, you rejects from space, let me show you why you don't mess   
with the natives of Chikyuu!" He released the accumlated ki from   
his hands. "Wolf Strike!" 

When the smoke cleared from his strong final attack, he   
surveyed the damage caused, confident in the Hachi Drones' demise. 

But he was surprised once again. For when the cloud   
dispersed, all four Hachi stood there, unmarked, and unscathed,   
from the attack. The two without discs stood slightly behind the   
other two with discs. The discs were positioned away from their   
bodies and were glowing brightly. 

Yamucha stared open-mouthed. 'How did they do that? I hit   
them directly! Where'd the Wolf Strike go?' He looked closer at   
the Drones. The discs, which still glowed brightly, were starting to   
pulse. A sinking feeling of dread developed in Yamucha's stomach as   
he felt his own ki strike him in the chest, and knock him down,   
unconscious. 

The four Hachi Drones twittered back and forth to each   
other. One stepped forward and washed the green paralysis beam   
over the downed Yamucha, for safety's sake, effectively holding him   
down. 

Yamucha was jolted back to consciousness when one of the   
Drones attached a disc to his chest. Hot, searing pain enflared his   
chest and he screamed in agony as the metal arms pierced through   
his skin to release the nanoprobes. His blood boiled under his skin,   
and his heart felt like it would explode. The two discless Drones   
watched emotionlesly over Yamucha as he bawled his pain to the   
world. 

They were taken out of his line of vision, though, when   
something purple flashed by his eyes. One of the two new   
Saiya-jiin, the tri-colored one, bent over his form and peered   
cautiously at him. 

Yamucha screamed once more when he felt something explode   
from his sides as his mind grew fuzzy. He struggled to hold onto   
the his sanity, as he felt that it was quickly slipping fom his grasp.   
Soon, the corners of his vision went dark, and as his range of sight   
faded from view, his last thought was of the blue-haired genius, and   
how he didn't get to apologize to her. And Yamucha remembered no   
more. 

> Tobuma knelt over the screaming Yamucha and desperately   
tried to remove the disc from his chest. When he screamed once   
more, and when new legs burst through his sides, he knew it was too   
late for the young senshi. Goku stood next to the kneeling Saotome   
and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's too late for him, isn't it?" 

Tobuma nodded, somber. "Yamucha-san was one of the first   
to be assimilated in our time line, as well." 

Goku knelt down to the writhing half-Drone, half-friend.   
"There's no way to reverse the process, correct?" Tobuma nodded   
silently. Goku laid a large hand on Yamucha's heaving chest and   
spoke quietly. "This is for your own good, old friend. Don't worry,   
Kaio-sama will be waiting for you." A bright light flared from Goku's   
hand, and with one final plaintive scream from Yamucha, the first   
casualty of the Z Senshi was no more. 

Tobuma stood and directed his gaze at Trunks, Kurillin, and   
Gohan, who were finishing up the last of the Drones that occupied   
the area. While the trio was occupied with their own opponents,   
another two arrived and brought Goku and Tobuma into the fight   
once more. Goku fired a relatively small ki ball at them, but it was   
caught and returned immediately. 

Both Goku and Tobuma dodged the returned ki and studied   
the new arrivals. Tobuma smirked, and reaching behind him,   
withdrew his sword from sub-space. 

Goku blinked surprisedly at his partner. "I didn't know you   
carried a blade, Tobuma. Where'd you pull it from?" 

Tobuma unwrapped the katana, and held it firmly in his grasp.   
"It's held in sub-space, Goku-san. I don't want to damage it in the   
open." He let the early morning sun glint of the finely-sharpened   
blade. "It's a family heirloom." He threw the older Saiya-jiin a   
smirk. "Let's take care of these nuisances, shall we? Remember, no   
ki shots until they're relieved of their absorption discs." Goku   
nodded once, and with Tobuma leading, blade in hand, launched   
themselves at the two new Hachi arrivals. They were easily put out   
of commission, with Tobuma's sword, and a few well-placed ki shots. 

The five males gathred around Yamucha's still body, and were   
silent for the fallen senshi. 

Kurillin knelt next to Yamucha and gingerly touched his new   
appendages. "This is what happens when the assimilation begins?"   
He glanced up at the future Saiya-jiin with a deep frown lining his   
face. 

Trunks nodded. "Hai. It's a fairly fast process, and once it   
starts, there's no stopping it." 

Gohan moved closer to his father. "Did we get them all,   
'Tousan? Are there anymore left?" 

Trunks answered for the older Saiya-jiin. "Hai, Gohan-san.   
There were twenty total, so hopefully the other group will encounter   
the rest." 

Tobuma' s eyes went from one corpse to the next, his frown   
growing deeper and deeper as he went from body to body. "There's   
twelve more out there." 

Kurillin looked up. "How do you know that, Tobuma-san?" 

He pointed to one of the corpses. "This is one of the original   
Drones." He then pointed to a different one. "This is a Human   
Drone. Can you see the differences?" 

Gohan nodded. "Hai. The Human Drones have wider stripes   
than the Original ones." 

Goku pointed to the heads. "And the Original Drones have   
four antennae, while the Human ones have two." 

Trunks nodded. "Hai. There were six Original, and two   
Human. Three, counting Yamucha-san, here." 

"And the two that attacked Vejiita and Seiika equals eight."   
Kurillin aded. 

"Hai." Tobuma agreed. "So that leaves twelve Original   
Drones..." 

"And who knows how many more Human Drones." Goku   
growled quietly. "They have to be stopped before more Humans lose   
their lives to these creatures." 

Kurillin smacked a fist into his hand. "Hai, Goku. We should   
split up again. We'd cover more ground that way." 

Everyone nodded in agreement. "Kurillin, why don't you and   
Gohan go with Trunks, and Tobuma and I will go together. That way   
each group will have someone with a blade." 

Trunks nodded. "Good call, Goku-san. Remember not to use ki   
unless the absorption discs are destroyed, otherwise you'll be   
dodging your own ki." 

Tobuma added to his cousin's warnings. "Also remember, that   
once a Human has been injected with the nanoprobes, they're lost to   
us. Don't hesitate to destroy them, as well. One Drone with one disc   
can create an army of disc-wielding Drones." 

Gohan glanced down at Yamucha and pulled on his father's   
pant leg. "What about Yamucha-san? Are we going to leave his body   
here?" 

Goku glanced down at his son and then at the deformed body   
of his friend. "Iie, Gohan-chan. We don't want Yamucha's body   
discovered in such a state." Goku raised a charged hand of ki. He   
released it, and Yamucha's body no longer existed in this plane.   
"Now, when he's wished back with the Dragonballs, he'll have his   
original body back." Gohan nodded somberly. 

Tobuma glanced at the others. "Ready?" 

Everyone nodded solemnly and the two separate groups flew   
off in opposite directions, in search of the rest of the Hachi. 


	17. Fight! Part Two

A Tail To Remember  
By Gie 

A Tail To Remember  
Chapter Sixteen: Fight! Part Two

The other group, composed of Vejiita, Ranma, Tenshinhan,  
and Piccolo, had not been without seeing action, as well. Akane had  
wanted to come, but after some 'persuasion,' or threats from Ranma  
and Vejiita, she had elected to stay behind to protect Capsule Corp,  
Bulma, and ChiChi with Chao-tzu, in case any Hachi decided pull a  
surprise visit there.

Ranma flew next to Piccolo, throwing a curious glance every  
so often to the green Namek-seijiin. Piccolo, though, was getting  
tired of the 'secret' glances and questioning looks and after catching  
Ranma staring once for too long, scowled and snorted in his  
direction. "If you have something to ask me, Serori, then just spit it  
out. Stop staring at me like a side-show."

Ranma blushed deeply and shook his head. "Gomen nasai. I  
don't really have anything to say, Piccolo-san. It's just that I've  
never seen an alien before."

Piccolo rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Don't you ever  
look in the mirror?"

Ranma smiled. "Well, that's not what I meant. You look like  
an alien--green and pink skin, antennae, and all. I look like a Human  
with a bad hair day--if I didn't have my tail, you couldn't tell the  
difference."

"I didn't realize I was alien either, until Vejiita told me I was  
a Namek-seijiin when he came to Chikyuu with that big Saiya-jiin. I  
was hatched on Chikyuu, as well."

Ranma blinked a few times. "Did you say, 'hatched?'"

Piccolo nodded. "Hai. Namek-seijiin do not have gender, and  
so do not procreate as such."

Ranma glanced at Piccolo for a few minutes. "Honto? I  
thought you were male. Or that's the impression you give off, I  
guess I should say."

He shrugged. "Humans need to assign a gender to everything.  
I don't mind the male reference. It doesn't matter to me."

Ranma nodded and and turned his attention to the  
surrounding area, scanning it for any signs of Hachi activity.  
Tenshinhan, who was in front of the pair, stopped suddenly. "There!  
Hachi at four o'clock, right?"

Vejiita snarled and blurred out of sight, reappearing in front  
of a Drone, smashing it with a fist. Tenshinhan shrugged and  
followed. "I guess they are." Ranma and Piccolo followed in the  
triclop's vapor trail as they launched their own attacks at the group  
of six Drones, who were in the process of assimilating a rather large  
group of commuters that were waiting at a bus stop. Several of the  
Humans had discs attached to their chests, and were in various  
stages of the assimilation process--new arms, legs, antennae, and  
the elongated and striped bodies and torsos had already formed.  
There was no turning back for these Humans.

Vejiita blasted a few of the Human Drones that had not yet  
formed or received assimilation discs and dissolved them into ashes.  
Tenshinhan stared, horrified at the unemotional attack of the  
Saiya-jiin. "Vejiita! Those are Human beings!"

Vejiita shook his head and spit disgustedly. "Iie! They are  
Drones. They may have been pitiful Humans once, but not anymore."  
He sneered in his direction and launched a ki ball over Tenshinhan's  
shoulder, sending a discless Drone reeling that was about to attack  
the male. "Would you rather be assimilated by them?"

Ranma darted by and destroyed the Drone that Vejiita  
injured. "Pay attention! Remember, once they're assimilated, there's  
no turning back. They aren't Human anymore. Tobuma and Trunks  
told us that." Ranma snapped a foot out, making a Drone drop a disc,  
then released some ki to flash fry it.

Tenshinhan nodded, and leaped into the fray, but was  
immediately frozen in the air as one of the green paralysis beams  
caught him in mid-air. A Drone quickly attached an assimilation disc  
to Tenshinhan's chest and activated it, shooting the DNA-changing  
nanoprobes into his system.

Tenshinhan screamed, catching the attention of the other Z  
Senshi. Piccolo was the closest, and he launched himself at the  
Drone, effectively turning its attention away from and disengaging  
the paralysis beam from Tenshinhan. The triclops fell bonelessly to  
the ground, still screaming in agony, clutching at his chest.

Ranma bolted over to the fallen Senshi and frantically tried  
to remove the silver disc from his chest. After a few minutes of  
fiddling with the controls located in the center of the disc, the  
mechanical arms retracted from the triclop's chest. Ranma violently  
threw the disc into the air and disintegrated it with his ki.

He turned his attention to the gasping Tenshinhan, who still  
clutched at his chest. He gave him a once over, and helped the tall  
male to his feet. "Are you all right? Do you think the nanoprobes  
got to you?"

Tenshinhan rubbed his chest, wincing as a strange pain  
throbbed within. "I don't know. I can't tell if the pain is from the  
probes themselves, or what the disc inflicted. Shimatta, that hurt!"

Ranma wiggled a finger in his ear. "Yeah, I could tell."

Tenshinhan gave him a apologetic glance. Ranma smiled at him and  
clapped him on the shoulder. "C'mon. Let's go tackle some Hachi  
ass." Tenshinhan nodded and launched himself once more into the  
fray.

But he fell to the ground suddenly, shrieking in pain once  
more. Ranma turned around and stared in horror and fascination as  
he watched Tenshinhan's body reform itself into a thorax and chest,  
stripes beginning to form around his body. With a horrible  
squashing sound, and a pierceing cry from Tenshinhan's mouth, a new  
set of legs complete with a set ot four toes burst from his sides,  
while a set of antennae oozed from the top of his head.

Piccolo and Vejiita finished up the last of the Drones and  
came to stand next to the speechless Ranma. "You know, Serori, he's  
lost to us." Piccolo spoke emotionlessly.

Ranma could only stare at the mutating senshi. He nodded  
slowly, and raised a hand, charging it with ki. The beam emerged  
from the middle of the transformed Drone's back, and with a final  
scream, Tenshinhan was at peace.

The three remaining Z Senshi look around at the carnage left  
by the attacking Hachi. Piccolo spoke quietly. "Should we continue?  
This wasn't all of them. And we don't know how many the other  
group encountered."

Ranma nodded, and hardened his expression. "We don't want  
this to get out of control. We can't let any other Humans get  
assimilated. Let's go." He flared his aura bright and took off into  
the air. Vejiita and Piccolo gave each other a glance and launched  
themselves after the young Saiya-jiin.

They were met up in the air by Kurillin, Gohan and Trunks,  
who looked a little roughened up since their first encounter.

Gohan waved to the three. "Konban wa, minna! What's up?"

Piccolo gave his student a small smirk, the past events  
keeping the mood somber. "Not much, kid. Looks like you've been  
playing hard."

He shrugged and glanced around. "We've had some fun  
playing with the Drones. Where's Tien? Wasn't he with your  
group?"

Ranma turned pale once again and fidgeted, tail in his hands.  
"He's gone."

Kurillin gave the three a confused glance. "Gone? Where'd  
he go? Did he go back to Capsule Corp, already?"

Trunks was watching his uncle's face and immediately knew  
what happened. "Hachi."

Vejiita grunted in acknowledgement. Kurillin gasped aloud,  
turning as white as Ranma. "He was turned into a Drone?" Vejiita  
grunted again, crossing his arms as he scanned the area, alert for  
any other Hachi activity.

Goku and Tobuma arrived next, and saw the looks that were  
on the Senshi's faces. "You guys told them about Yamucha, Kurillin?"  
Goku asked, oblivious to the real reason.

Piccolo raised an eyebrow and focused his attention on Goku.  
Vejiita also made eye contact with the Saiya-jiin, but didn't say  
anything. "What about Yamucha, Son? Did you find him?"

Kurillin shook his head. "We didn't tell them, yet, Goku. They  
just told us that Tien was assimilated." He turned to the three that  
weren't part of their original group. "We found Yamucha in the park,  
partially assimilated. He was in spasms."

Piccolo and Ranma frowned deeply, and Vejiita shook his head.  
"He shouldn't have ran off alone. He really wasn't listening to what  
Trunks and Tobuma were saying." Ranma sighed deeply. Even though  
he thought Yamucha was a walking ball of hormones, he regretted  
the loss of a Senshi to fight the Hachi.

Vejiita grunted and spat disgustedly. "The bakayaro  
deserved what he got. If the weakling was going to act weak, then it  
was his own downfall. He called himself a senshi--he should have  
acted like one."

Goku shot Vejiita a warning glare, but it melted into a  
lamentive frown. "Tenshinhan's gone? That's two of our numbers  
down." He glanced the way of Capsule Corp, where the rest of their  
group was stationed. "Chao-tzu is going to be devastated."

Trunks turned to Tobuma. "Did you encounter any more  
Hachi?"

The tri-colored Saiya-jiin nodded. "Two more, plus several  
Human Drones."

"We found two more as well, and some assimilated Humans."  
He turned to Vejiita. "How many did you encounter?"

Vejiita raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know, gaki?"

Ranma spoke quietly, ignoring his brother-in-law's comment.  
"How can you tell the difference between a Human Drone and the  
others?"

Gohan suppiled the answer. "The Original Drones have four  
antennae, and thick stripes."

Ranma nodded, storing the information away. "Then we  
destroyed six Original Drones, and countless Human Drones."

Kurillin counted silently. "That means there are still two  
Original Drones out there, and who knows how many Human ones.  
That makes eighteen."

Trunks nodded, agreeing with the shaved monk's math. "Hai.  
We need to find them, fast, before we're overwhelmed by Human  
Drones." Everyone turned in an opposite direction, scanning for a  
sign. Goku called out as he leapt into the air. "If you run into them,  
flare your ki, and we'll come find you." Everyone agreed and soon  
there was no trace of anyone in the sky.

Piccolo and Gohan landed in a nearby park, and began to look  
around. "See anything, Gohan?"

The young Saiya-jiin shook his head, eyes peeled and ears  
open for any sign. "Iie, Piccolo-san. Don't hear anything, either."

Piccolo nodded, agreeing with his assessment of the area.  
"All right, let's move on." But before they could launch into the air,  
a scream of terror caught their attention. Both turned  
simultaneously in the direction of the shout, and saw a heady green  
glow coming from behind a picnic shelter.

"Let's go, Gohan. I think we found them."

"Hai. We should tell the others." Gohan reminded his sensei  
as they ran to the origins of the scream.

"You do that, Gohan. I'll go see what's going on." Piccolo ran  
ahead as Gohan paused and flared his ki to let the others know a  
Hachi Drone was spotted. He soon rejoined Piccolo, who was just  
starting to engage the three Hachi; one Original, and two Human.  
Gohan cried out and launched himself at one of the Human Drones,  
who was trying to pin back Piccolo's arms. He knocked the Drone  
down, effectively breaking its hold on the green Namek-seijiin.  
Piccolo flashed his pupil a grin. "Arigato, Gohan-kun."

Gohan beamed at Piccolo, enjoying the praise. "No problem,  
Piccolo-san."

Piccolo jabbed an elbow into the gullet of a Human Drone that  
was trying to approach him from the side. It backed off, and while  
it was distracted, he released a thin stream of ki, destroying the  
Drone. Gohan wrapped his tail around the Original Drone's leg, and  
pulled, knocking it off balance, and making it drop its assimilation  
discs. He destroyed them, and Piccolo took care of the Hachi Drone.

Ranma and Tobuma soon appeared next to the two senshi.  
"You found one?" Tobuma asked, surveying the area.

"Hai, Tobuma-san, " Gohan nodded. "And two Human ones.  
Did you find the other?"

They both shook their heads. "Iie. I wonder if anyone else  
has..." Tobuma trailed off as he whipped his head around. "Who's  
that?"

The other three concentrated on the fluxuating ki. Gohan's  
eyes widened in realization. "That's Kurillin-san! He's in trouble!"  
He flared his aura bright and shot off in the direction he last felt  
his friend's erratic ki signature. The other three followed close  
behind.

When Gohan reached the location of where he felt his  
friend's warning, he was surprised to find his father, Vejiita, and  
Trunks fighting against four Hachi--three Human and the last  
Original Drone. He frantically searched the area, looking for the  
one that lured him there. A flash of orange caught his attention,  
and his sharp eyes narrowed in on the gi Kurillin normally wore.  
"Kurillin-san!" Gohan shrieked, seeing his friend laying motionless on  
the ground.

With a strong knee to the gut, which made the Drone bend  
over in pain, Goku finished off his opponent with a savage twist to  
the neck, breaking it and killing the Drone. He turned quickly and  
phased over to Gohan, who had just about reached Kurillin. "Iie,  
Gohan, yamero!"

Gohan ran into his father's massive chest and fell to the  
ground. "Nani, Otousan? Kurillin's hurt!"

Goku kneeled in front of his son, shielding his sight from the  
motionless Kurillin. His voice ran thick with emotion. "Kurillin got  
attacked by the Hachi. We think he'll be okay, but we don't know if  
we got the disc off his chest in time."

Gohan stared into his father's eyes, seeing the raw pain  
flashing within the dark depths. "Honto?" Goku nodded and stood  
up. Gohan moved slowly over to his Namek-sei companion and knelt  
down next to him. "Kurillin-san? Daijiobu?"

The short male stirred slightly and groaned, slowly sitting up.  
He shook his head to clear the fuzzy cobwebs. "Daijiobu, I think."  
Kurillin stood slowly, prodding his chest and wincing slightly. "I was  
caught completely unaware!"

The rest of the Drones were defeated in no time, and all  
gathered around the injured male to hear his story.

"I heard a scream coming from this direction and when I  
landed here, I was hit by that weird green light. It came from out  
of nowhere." Kurillin glanced amongst the sea of faces staring at  
him. His eyes rested upon the purple-haired Saiya-jiin and smiled,  
nodding in gratitude. "It's a good thing Trunks-kun here was so  
close, or otherwise I might be a goner, for sure!" Trunks nodded  
back, silent.

"They attached the disc to you, right, Kurillin-san?" Tobuma  
eyed the male's chest, noting the puncture marks.

Kurillin nodded his head, consciously rubbing his chest. "Hai.  
I don't know if those nanoprobe things are in me, or whatever,  
though." Everyone took a step back unconsciously. Gohan's normally  
cheerful face started to become extremely pale.

"If they are, Kurillin-san...."

He turned his attention to the young child and occasional  
sparring partner, concern etched in his features. "What are you  
getting at, Gohan-kun?"

Gohan glanced at the others surrounding him, before his  
pasty face focused onhis friend. "If they are, Kurillin-san, then the  
Dragonballs will have no effect on you." He swallowed audibly and  
continued with a notable quiver in his voice. "We won't be able to  
wish you back."

Ranma blinked a few times, staring at the pale-faced senshi.  
"What do you mean, Gohan-kun? I thought you could wish anyone  
back with the Dragonballs, as long as they've not been dead for over  
a year."

Goku nodded somberly. "That's right, Serori-kun, but you can  
only be brought back once."

"And I used my chance quite awhile ago. The Namek-sei  
Dragonballs wouldn't work either, because of that bastard Friiezer."  
Kurillin's face turned dark with anger.

"What about Tien and Yamucha?"

"They've been wished back by Porunga, Namek-sei's Dragon.  
Shenlong, Chikyuu's Dragon, will be able to resurrect them." Kurillin  
explained. An idea formed in his mind. "Should we start gathering  
the Dragonballs?"

Goku frowned. "Iie, not yet. If we wish them back now, they  
stand a chance to get assimilated again. We'll wait until we've  
defeated the Hachi, and then wish all of the people assimilated by  
the Hachi back."

Piccolo nodded, agreeing with the plan. "Good idea, Son. You  
can start gathering them, but it would be best to wait until the  
enemy is defeated."

"Are you all done babbling, yet?" Vejiita spoke, slightly away  
from the main group. "Are they all gone now?"

Trunks nodded. "That was the last one, Otousan."

Goku snickered to himself. "Otousan..."

Vejiita whirled around, aura flaring. He had heard what Goku  
said. "What's so funny, Kakarotto-baka?"

Goku shook his head, smothering his giggles. "Nothing,  
Vejiita...'Tousan...." Goku burst into another fit of giggles.

Vejiita growled under his breath, but did not take the bait  
the third-class kusotare offered. He threw Goku a glare that  
promised a dirty death in the near future and began to stomp away,  
grabbing Trunks' tail as he moved away. "Come on, gaki." He gave  
Ranma a quick glance. "Coming, Serori?"

Ranma gave his own future son a glance and nodded. Both  
Tobuma and Ranma gave the remaining people a wave before they  
launched themselves into the air. All four resident Saiya-jiin of  
Capsule Corp took off in a blaze of light.

Piccolo gave the rest of the group a glance. "Now that we  
know what we're up against, it's a good idea to step up your training."

Goku nodded. "Hai, Piccolo. The three of us have been  
training with Serori, Seiika, and Vejiita for the past week." Goku  
blinked a few times. "Although we just lost Seiika-chan."

Gohan looked confused for a minute, then brightened. "Oh  
yeah, I forgot about the babies!" He smiled brightly. "At least  
Bulma-san and Seiika-san know what their children are going to look  
like when they grow up."

Kurillin shook his head in wonder. "I still can't believe that  
Bulma and Vejiita got together!" A coy smile graced his lips.  
"Although it does make some sense...they have the exact same  
temperment! Only someone like Bulma could handle Vejiita's pride,"  
Kurillin laughed at the irony, "And only Vejiita's pride could handle  
Bulma's stubbornness." Goku and Gohan laughed slightly at Kurillin's  
remark.

Piccolo turned his attention to Kurillin. "Do you think you'll  
turn into a Drone?"

Kurillin patted his chest a few times and shook his head. "Iie,  
I think Trunks got the disc off in time. I would have mutated by  
now, I think."

Piccolo nodded in agreement. "All right, then." He began to  
float into the air.

Goku frown slightly. "Someone should tell Chao-tzu about  
Tien. The little guy's going to be devastated."

Piccolo grunted. "I'll tell him."

Goku looked wide-eyed at the once Piccolo-Diamao. The  
once-Devil of Chikyuu was actually acting like a true part of the  
team. Goku couldn't be happier for his enemy turned friend, and  
sensei of his son. "Are you sure, Piccolo?" He got a nod in response.

Goku turned to Gohan and ruffled his unruly hair. "We should  
go too, Gohan-chan, and pick up ChiChi. Your 'Kaasan is more than  
likely worrying herself to pieces." He smirked at Gohan's sudden  
frown. "And you probably have a pile of homework waiting for you,  
as well. ChiChi's not going to let you out of her sight for at least a  
week."

Gohan sighed audibly. "Hai, Otousan. Let's go face the  
music." Gohan levitated up to where Piccolo floated. "Sayonara,  
Piccolo-san. See you in a month, if I'm lucky." Gohan, on an impulse,  
gave his sensei a quick hug, and disappeared in a bright vapor trail to  
where his mother, and his books, awaited his return.

Piccolo's eyes were wide in surprise as he stared at Gohan's  
rapidly fading ki trail. He was brought out of his daydream by  
Goku's hand on his shoulder. "He cares deeply for you, Piccolo-san.  
Treasure it." And with a smile and a wave of his hand, followed in  
his son's ki-print.

Kurillin left as well, with a wave and a good-bye to Piccolo,  
leaving the green Senshi standing alone in the square.

He smiled slightly as the three vapor trails faded out of  
existance. 'Don't worry, Son Goku. I already know, and do, as well."  
Piccolo flared his aura bright and with a flash, vanished from sight.

Vejiita flew along, silent, en route to Capsule Corp. The three  
others with him were silent as well. The events that transpired  
within the battlefield had given the four Saiya-jiin many things to  
think about.

Soon the domed landscaping that was known as Capsule Corp  
came into sight. All of a sudden, Vejiita stopped in mid-flight,  
holding his hands up to his temples. scrunching his eyes up, as if in  
pain .

Ranma, who was flying next to his brother-in-law, paused  
when the familiar dark presence left his side. "What's up, Vejiita?  
Do you sense something?"

Vejiita stood silent, eyes closed in concentration.

Trunks glanced at Tobuma, a concerned look flashing across  
both of the Saiya-jiin features. "Otousan? What's wrong?"

Vejiita finally opened his eyes. "Iie, gaki." He flared his aura  
bright and shot through the sky, a comet slicing through the clouds.

Ranma gave his son and nephew a confused look. "What was  
up with that?" Both younger Saiya-jiin shook their heads and  
shrugged their shoulders, not knowing what to say. Ranma lowered  
his eyebrows in concentration. "Well, whatever it is, it seems it  
affected Vejiita a fair amount."

"Is it something going on at home?" Tobuma suggested.  
"Vejiita-ojisan shot off in that direction."

Ranma turned towards Capsule Corp and stared hard. "Well, I  
don't sense anything wrong. Akane is sleeping right now, and I don't  
sense any unfamiliar ki." Something unreadable flashed in his eyes.  
"It might have something to do with Bulma. Or your un-born self,  
Trunks-kun."

Trunks blinked a few times. "Me? How?"

Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "Well, since you are still part  
of Bulma, Vejiita can sense if something's wrong with the fetus.  
Until you're born, yours and Bulma's ki are connected." He nodded at  
Tobuma. "It's the same with your Okaasan, Tobuma. Your unborn  
self and Akane are connected, as well."

Tobuma stared at his father. "So, you're saying that you can  
sense the fetus's ki? It's only a week old..."

Ranma nodded absently, still concentrating on the events  
going on at Capsule Corp. "Hai, I can sense it through our Bond.  
Once it was pointed out to me, I could distinguish it from Akane's ki.  
It's really close to Akane's...only silghtly different. Akane's ki  
pretty much masks the presence. That's why we couldn't tell Bulma  
and Akane were pregnant." He smiled and turned to his future son.  
"It has the beginnings of your ki signature, Tobuma-chan. Vejiita  
was right when he said that you were on the way." Tobuma blushed  
and nodded.

Trunks smiled at his cousin's embarrassment, but soon turned  
his attention back to Capsule Corp. "So do you think something's  
wrong?"

Ranma shook his head. "Iie, not that I can sense. Bulma  
might have called out to Vejiita through their Bond, and that's why  
he stopped suddenly. Especially if she yelled...you know how loud she  
can be."

Both Tobuma and Trunks nodded their heads enthusiastically.  
"Hai. That much has not changed." Trunks smiled, a genuine smile  
brightening up his face. "'Kaasan always had a healthy set of vocal  
cords on her. You could hear her calling you from one end to the  
other of Capsule Corp. She never needed to use the intercomm  
system."

Ranma shook his head. "Well, let's get back. Everyone there  
will want to know what happened out here, and we should let them  
know of the...losses..." Trunks and Tobuma nodded solemnly and  
auras flared, the three Saiya-jiin headed for home.

And that's Fourteen--and another loss to the Z Senshi. Poor Tien...Anyway, I won't be posting for a little while--I got to actually write now...Boy, you all are demanding on one's fingers...I think I see bone...lol Anyway, What's up with Bulma? And what are the Hachi on the _Tokemonu_ up to? You'll find out next time...Review, please! Gie-chan.


	18. The Difference Between Dream and Reality

**A Tail To Remember**   
**by Gie: phowahcs.com**   
****   
****   
**** ****

**Chapter Seventeen: The Difference Between Dream and Reality**

Vejiita's face was set in a firm scowl as he opened the   
balcony doors that led to the suite of rooms he shared with his   
mate. She had called out mentally to him; that was the reason he   
had stopped suddenly in the air. And true to Bulma's character, she   
had practically screamed his name in his mind. He had tried to talk   
back to her--but received no response to his summons. 

As he burst into the room where his mate was, thinking that   
Friiezer had come back from hell to exact his revenge against the   
dark Prince, his battle cry was caught in his throat when he saw that   
his baka mate was just fine. 

In fact, she was sleeping. 

Bulma was curled up in a tight ball in the center of the bed,   
shivering. All of the fancy, and to him, frivolous and unnecessary,   
blankets and pillows that adorned the bed during the day were lying   
on the floor. As they were every morning. That was one thing the   
two of them had in common. Both of them were thrashers. It was a   
good thing Bulma had such a large bed--otherwise one of the mated   
pair, most likely the Onna, would end up on the floor every night.   
But every morning, they awoke to the sight of the other; for they   
always started the morning in each other's arms. 

Vejiita glanced at the small form; she looked dwarved   
compared to the extreme size of the bed. He gathered up the   
blankets and pillows; after placing them on the bed he noiselessly   
stripped and climbed into bed with her, circling himself around her   
shivering frame. After all, he hadn't slept since she had woken him   
up the night before to tell him she was leaving. 

In response to the familiar body heat, Bulma stopped   
shivering and relaxed her body from the tight ball she had wrapped   
herself in, melting her frame to the well-muscled one of her mate.   
Vejiita buried his nose within her hair and finally let his heavy   
eyelids close and his mind to fall into dreamless slumber. 

But this peaceful state would not last long. 

Vejiita's eyelids were torn open by a scream from the female   
he cradled in his arms that rattled his ears. He was about to grab a   
pillow and a blanket and find quieter places to rest, but a nagging   
feeling kept him where he was. He watched as she tossed back and   
forth, her head shaking from side to side. In a fit of compassion he   
reached out and shook her, trying to break her from the nightmare's   
grip. 

"Onna, wake up." He received no verbal response, only a   
splattering of raw emotion through their Link. 

He shook harder. "Onna. Wake up!" 

This time, he received a response. Bulma sat up, sweat   
pouring off her brow, gasping hard. Vejiita thought he was going to   
get an answer, but Bulma fell back to the bed, eyes still closed,   
sleeping. 

He growled low in exasperation. As he reached out once more   
to try and wake her, she surprised him and sat up, and looked   
around. "Finally, Onna. I thought you'd never wake up." Vejiita   
pulled the covers around himself and closed his eyes once again. 

"Where am I?" 

Vejiita cracked open an eye and glared at his mate. "You are   
in bed. Now lay down or get up. But shut up." 

"Why is it so dark?" 

"It isn't as dark as it going to get if you don't be quiet while I   
try to sleep!" 

Bulma tentatively reached out a hand. "Where'd the mall go?   
Where are you, Seiika-chan?" 

Vejiita opened both of his eyes and sat up. "Nani? What in   
the hell are you talking about, Onna?" He stared into his mate's   
face. Her eyes were glazed over, and their attention seemed to be   
somewhere else. He raised a hand in front of her face and waved it   
back and forth. It did not give him the desired reaction, but   
answered his question. 

She was still asleep. 

Vejiita swore under his breath. He knew what was happening.   
She was having another one of those prophetic dreams. His eyes   
widened slightly. She mentioned Seiika! 

"Seiika-chan? Where are you? Where are we? Why is it so   
cold?" 

Vejiita held onto Bulma's arms "Onna! What's going on?" 

Bulma ignored the external summons. "Why can't I move?"   
Her voice began to raise in pitch. "Why can't I move? Oh, Kami!   
Seiika-chan! Where are you?" She thrashed back in forth in   
Vejiita's grip, futile in her efforts to escape whatever was holding   
her in her dream. Vejiita watched her, a fascinated look of dread   
moving over his features. 

She slumped in his grip, defeated. "We shouldn't have   
gone...oh, Seiika-chan...it's all my fault." Her head snapped up, and   
she wildly looked around. "Trunks? Trunks-chan? Where are you?" 

Vejiita scowled. Was that gaki with her when this happened?   
Why didn't he protect her? 

"Trunks-chan? Where are you, baby? Where's my baby!   
Trunks!" She screamed out his name and fell back, silent. 

Vejiita still held Bulma's arms in his grip, otherwise she would   
have fallen back onto the bed. Baby? That meant that Bulma had   
given birth to the brat. So this dream--these events happen at   
least six months in the future. 

He slowly let go of her arms, letting her fall back onto the   
bed. The images that Bulma's dream produced were unsettling.   
Something was going to happen after Bulma gives birth to the gaki.   
Something to her and Seiika. He needed to know what. 

Reaching out, Vejiita shook Bulma none too gently. "Onna,   
wake up! Bulma!" 

Finally, Bulma slowly blinked open her watery blue eyes, only   
to meet deep pools of black staring her down. "Vejiita? What's   
going on?" She sat up and blinked a few times, looking around.   
"What time is it?" 

He shook his head, impatient. "Never mind that. What did   
you dream about?" 

Bulma's face twisted in confusion. "Dream? What do you   
mean?" 

Vejiita sighed. "Onna, you had another one of those dreams.   
You woke me up with your screaming. You were with Seiika, and   
something happened." 

Bulma's eyes were wide in fear. She nodded, swallowing hard.   
"Hai. We were at the mall shopping." She closed her eyes, picturing   
the details of the dream. She shuddered as the memories came   
flooding back to her. 

"We were shopping at the mall; it's quite a few months into   
the future, because we were pushing Tobuma and Trunks in   
strollers." A ghost of a smile turned at her lips, seeing the images   
of the infants. 

Vejiita grunted, getting her attention back to the content of   
the dream. "Hai. We were shopping and all of a sudden, a mob of   
people started to run in the opposite way we were walking. Seiika   
and I got separated in the mass of bodies, but we found each other   
after the crowd thinned out. But people started to drop to the   
ground all around us, writhing in pain. I knelt next to one..." She   
trailed off, the faraway look in her eyes snapping off. She let out a   
choked sob and covered her face with her hands. 

Vejiita moved closer to her, prying her fingers away so he   
could look at her in the face. "What happened, Bulma?" He spoke   
quietly, urging her to continue. He had a feeling of what was   
happening, but needed to know the details of what she saw. 

She swallowed hard, and looked into the fierce gaze of her   
mate. "I knelt next to one; it was just a teenager, and he looked so   
scared...He reached out a hand to me and when I was going to help   
him up, he shrieked and the hand started to change into claws. His   
body rippled, and new legs burst through his sides. I screamed   
almost as loud as him, and backed away. I ran into something, and   
when I turned around..." Bulma's eyes closed tight when the tears   
threatened to overflow. 

Vejiita sighed and nodded. "Hachi. They were being attacked   
by the Hachi." 

Bulma nodded, wiping away the trails of tears that ran down   
her raw cheeks. "That boy turned into a Drone right in front of my   
eyes." 

"Where was Seiika?" 

She hung her head slightly, staring at the blanket that   
covered her legs. She began to pick at the fuzzballs with her   
still-bandaged fingers. "She was behind me. I saw her when I   
turned around. She had gone Super Saiya-jiin, and was fighting with   
a horde of those bee-Drone-things. But they looked--different, I   
guess." She raised her head and stared at Vejiita. "You defeated all   
of the Hachi Drones out there, right?" 

He nodded. "All twenty are gone. Plus the Humans that were   
assimilated already." 

Bulma's expression was unreadable. "Describe the Drones to   
me." 

"They are about six feet tall, elongated bodies, four legs, two   
arms, clawed hands, antennae, black and white striped. They each   
carried four assimilation discs." 

Bulma nodded. "Hai. That's what they looked like in my first   
dream. But these were different. These were black and green   
striped, and had a tuft of purple hair on their heads. Trunks and   
Tobuma said that they can't use ki unless they have the discs,   
right?" Vejiita nodded. Bulma turned and faced her Prince directly,   
placing her hands on his arms. She spoke directly into his face, eyes   
locked with eyes. "These were using ki. They had no discs. And   
they were deflecting the ki that Seiika shot at them with shields on   
their arms." 

Vejiita looked skeptical. "Were they deflecting Seiika's ki,   
and shooting it back out of their hands, or was it ki produced by the   
Drones?" 

Bulma nodded her head. "The ki that Seiika shot was being   
deflected by the shields, and bouncing off in different directions.   
You could track where it went. The ki that the Drones used was   
their own--it had a green tint to it, and I could see it originate from   
their hands." She collapsed onto his chest, wrapping her arms   
around his frame. She shook with deep sobs. "They took her. I   
watched as they froze her into place, and they picked her up and   
took her away. I sceamed at them, but they didn't turn around. I   
started to run after them, and all of a sudden, my feet weren't on   
the ground anymore, and I couldn't move." 

"One of the Drones got you, too?" Vejiita's arms came around   
her and held her tight, as if he was keeping her safe from the   
Drones. 

Bulma squeezed tighter. "H..Hai. Trunks started to scream   
in my arms, but I couldn't quiet him down, because I couldn't move.   
Then everything went black. I woke up in a dark room, alone." She   
looked up into Vejiita's face. "That's where I woke-woke up." 

He nodded. "You started talking out loud when you 'woke up'   
in the dark." Worry and slight fear made him unconsciously grip her   
tighter. He sighed and buried his face in her hair. "What am I   
going to do with you, Onna?" 

Bulma didn't answer. She couldn't, because she didn't have an   
answer for him. 

Silence coated the room and its occupants for several   
minutes, until Bulma reached out and gripped her mate's chin with   
her teeth. "Aishiteru, Otoko." 

Vejiita just grunted and buried his nose deeper into her hair. 

Bulma sighed quietly and stared off into space, her cheek   
resting on his shoulder. "Were the Drones difficult? Did you have   
any problems?" 

She felt Vejiita head shake slightly and a grunt. "Iie, Onna.   
They are fairly easy to take care of, if you don't use ki to attack   
them until they are disarmed of the assimilation discs." 

Bulma nodded. "Did you find Yamucha?" She was met with   
silence from the male next to her. She sat up, and made him look   
into her face. "Well? Did you, or didn't you? I know you don't like   
him," she swatted his chest when he rolled his eyes at her, "but he   
is still my friend, and I am worried about him." 

"Onna," Vejiita sighed loudly. The sooner he got this over   
with, the better. He just hoped his ears can handle her close   
proximity. "The scarred Human and the Triclops were assimilated." 

Bulma blinked at him, not believing what she had heard.   
"Nani?" 

Vejiita just nodded. "When Kakarotto found him, it was too   
late. And the Triclops flew into a paralysis beam." 

Bulma's hands flew up to her mouth, and she shook her head   
wildly. "Nani? Yamucha and Tien are gone? Assimilated?" She fell   
into Vejiita's chest, bawling. Large, heart-wrenching tears spilled   
down her already-raw cheeks and soaked the shirt Vejiita was   
wearing. 

His expression turned into one of pain. His ears would be   
ringing for hours. He buried her face into his chest to muffle the   
piercing sounds that sprang from her grief. "Onna, be quiet! You're   
killing my ears. They aren't lost for good. Kakarotto will wish them   
back with the Dragon Balls when we defeat the Hachi, along with all   
of the Human Drones that were disposed of today. And will be   
disposed." 

The wails quieted down to whimpers. A muffled, "Really?"   
came from the blue-haired genius. He sighed and nodded, rubbing   
her hair in comfort. Soon, she whimpers ceased and she sat up,   
wiping away the salty tears. 

Vejiita stared into his mate's face intensely, reading the raw   
emotions that fell off her in waves. He crawled out of the bed and   
began to get dressed in a fresh set of clothing. 

Bulma watched him dress with slight curiosity. "Where are   
you going, Vejiita?" 

He just grunted. When he finished, he turned to the   
blue-haired female sitting on the edge of the bed. He gazed at her   
with an unreadable expression. Bulma started to get irritated at his   
silence. "What are you doing, Vejiita? Where are you going? And   
stop staring at me like I'm some sort of science experiment." 

He raised an eyebrow and snorted. Bending slightly in front   
of her, he swept his arms under her legs and behind her back,   
effectively cradling her in his arms. He strode out of the bedroom,   
and onto the balcony. 

Bulma let out a small gasp when he picked her up with such   
little ease. "What do you think you are doing, Vejiita? Put me down,   
now." Her eyes widened as she saw him head towards the balcony.   
"Oh, no you don't. You better not be doing what I think you are   
doing, baka." Her arms snaked around his neck, holding him tight.   
She knew exactly what was going to happen. 

Bulma let out a small scream when Vejiita took off into the   
air. "Where are we going? Put me down! Now! Bakayaro, I don't   
want to go flying, Vejiita..." Her cries became a mess of muffled   
words as she buried her face in his neck. The scenery was going by   
so fast she started to get sick watching it. 

After a few minutes of flying, and not landing, she peeked an   
eye out to glare at her mate. "At least tell me where we're going." 

"You'll find out when we get there." 

Bulma sighed and tightened her hold on Vejiita's neck. "Just   
don't drop me, okay, Otoko?" She received a snort in reply. The   
reluctant passenger closed her eyes and snuggled closer to the pilot   
of the impromptu flight. She really didn't mind going flying with   
him--as long as she was prepared. These sudden 'flights' always   
threw her off-balance. But then, that would go against the Prince's   
normal behavior. Ahh, she could never win... 

Just as her eyelids started to become heavy with sleep, she   
felt him slow down, decend and land. She craned her head around,   
taking in the scenery as Vejiita gently set her feet in solid ground. 

Where they landed was, to put it bluntly, a wasteland. 

There was no sign of life, anywhere. A few scattered trees,   
bushes, and other such scarce greenery dotted the landscape.   
Several large outcroppings of rocks loomed in each direction she   
turned. The dried and cracked ground was tough on the tender   
soles of her feet--which, unlucky for her, were bare. The heat was   
bearable--as long as you were dressed properly for it. She   
wandered around in the stillness. She walked up to a small pond that   
was glittering dully by a clump of fairly green trees, but no animals   
drank from it's calm, murky waters. 

She stared at her reflection in the muddy water. Her eyes   
were still red from crying, and her hair was in complete disarray   
from the whipping she received on the ride over here. It stirred   
slightly in a breathy gust of wind. Cheeks bright red from the raw   
treatment of the wind and her fists. She sighed and stood, turning   
to face her mate. "When did you find this place?" 

Vejiita had been standing silent, watching her take in her   
unfamiliar surroundings. He shrugged his shoulders. "A few months   
ago. I came across this spot after escaping your whining over baka   
things." 

Bulma stuck her tongue out at him. She glanced around again,   
shrugging her shoulders, not very impressed by the 'decor.' "Why   
here, though? It's so...desolate." 

He glanced around. "It reminds me of Vejiita-sei. Most of   
the planet was dry and barren, like this. It was the result of us   
plundering our own soil, and not taking care of it. Plus, having two   
suns helped dry out the land. We did have some small areas of   
green, but they were few and far between." 

Bulma nodded, now seeing what he saw in the devoid area.   
"So, again, why did you bring me here?" 

The Prince sighed and threw a look at his mate. "You needed   
to get away from everyone. The deaths of the triclops and the   
scarred male hit you hard. Your grieving should be in private, and   
not for the entire building to hear and witness." 

Bulma's face started to crumple up once again in grief. A few   
choked sobs escaped her clenched fist as she began to mourn the   
loss of her allies and friends once more. She fell to her knees in   
anguish. She clutched at the silent figure that came to kneel next   
to her. "Why does this always happen to the ones that I love?" 

Vejiita was silent; for now, he was the one that did not know   
how to answer. He wound his muscular arms around her sobbing   
figure, and rubbed her back in comfort. After a few minutes, her   
sobs setttled to sniffles and she relaxed her steely grip on his shirt. 

Their silence complimented the barren wasteland's own quiet,   
until it was broken by a quiet question by Vejiita. "You love them?" 

She sniffled once more and he felt her nod into his chest.   
"Hai, I do. They're my friends; I care for them deeply." 

Vejiita frowned slightly. He strengthened his hold on the   
blue haired female in his lap, and levitated to a cluster of brush. It   
provided adequate shade against the harsh sun that beat down on   
their heads. He adjusted her small form on his lap so she lay   
crosswise. He pressed her head against his chest and, after a few   
moments of silence, asked another question, albeit rather   
hesitantly. "Like...like you love me?" 

She turned to look into his face. His expression was of stone   
indifference, but his eyes defied his expression. Need, confusion,   
and a vein of jealousy wound its way through the infinite pools of   
blackness. 

She shook her head and smiled. She sat up and ran her hands   
through the thick flames of his raven hair. "Iie, Vejiita-chan. Do   
you understand love?" 

The dark Prince snorted. "Nani, Onna? What do you mean?   
How can you comprehend an emotion? Especially a baka one like   
love?" 

She shifted once more, so she straddled his outstretched   
legs. His tail wound around her waist as she began to explain her   
question. "There are several types, or levels, of love, Vejiita. There   
is the love between family members. Like me and my parents, or   
between you and Seiika-chan." 

"There is the love for your fellow man, or 'brotherly' love,   
some call it. It's the innate belief that there is good in everyone,   
and believing that each one of Mankind will act upon it. Son-kun   
showed his love for you in this way when he let you escape the first   
time you fought." She paused a minute, trying to gauge his   
reactions. He seemed to be following what she was saying--at least   
he was attentively listening. 

She continued on. "There is the love between friends; ones   
you share common bonds with, and experience similar things   
together that bring you closer." 

"Like between you and Kakrotto's companions?" he   
questioned. She nodded in agreement. "Do you feel love for   
Kakarotto?" A flicker of jealousy ran underneath his words. 

A quirky smile danced on her lips and Bulma nodded. "Hai, I   
do. He's the big 'little brother' I never had. I don't have any   
siblings, and Son-kun was the first senshi I encountered on my quest   
for the Dragonballs. We've been together from the beginning."   
She smiled wider. "Hai, I love Goku very much." 

Vejiita opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped short by   
Bulma's bandaged finger on his lips. She stroked the soft skin and   
stared deep into his eyes. "But then there's the love between a man   
and a woman; a male and a female. This is the strongest type of   
love, and the most powerful. It also can be the most painful. This is   
the love that we share; that Serori and Seiika share. Love so strong   
it can move mountains with just one phrase, and form unbreakable   
bonds. Love that fuses the very souls of those involved for   
eternity." She reached for his hand and placed it on her stomach.   
"Love strong enough to create new life. This is the love that   
withstands all and will not bend to anything, or anyone. This is the   
love I have for you, Vejiita-chan." She leaned forward and proved   
her love for him by claiming his lips for her own. 

His hands moved from her stomach to her back and he   
crushed her to him in his embrace. After a few breathless minutes,   
she relinquished her hold on his mouth. She glanced her fingers   
over his forehead, stroking his widow's peak lovingly. "Do you   
understand love now, Otoko?" 

He answered with a small shake of his head, no. Bulma   
smirked and chuckled lightly. "That's okay, Otoko. Neither do I. I   
really don't think many people do." She blinked a few times. "So   
what brought this on? I didn't think that the mighty Saiya-jiin no   
Ouji cared for such baka emotions and unnecessary things like   
that?" She teased him and poked his nose a few times. "Or are you   
getting soft, Vejiita?" 

He raised an eyebrow at her and rolled his eyes. "Whatever,   
Onna. The Saiya-jiin no Ouji is never soft." He paused, thinking.   
"Curious, maybe, but never soft." 

Bulma shook her head in amazement. "You are so full   
of...something, that's for sure." She shift positions once again, so   
her back was against his chest. 

He wrapped his arms around her, fingers making imaginary   
paterns on her stomach. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he   
breathed into her ear. "So...do you want to go back now?" 

She shivered despite the heat of the wastelands and shook   
her head. "Iie. I should, but I don't want to. Not yet, at least. I'm   
enjoying being away from everyone, and spending some 'quiet time'   
with you. We should do this more often." 

He nodded in agreement, but frowned slightly. "We may not   
have many chances, with the Hachi starting their assualt on   
Chikyuu." 

Her frown mimicked her mate's. "I know." A thoughtful look   
replaced the unpleasant frown. "If you think about it, next time, try   
to keep one of those assimilation discs intact. I'd like to take a look   
at it; see how it works, and examine those nasty DNA-changing   
nanoprobes. I might be able to come up with something to combat   
the effects, or maybe armor to withstand the probes." Bulma   
started to get excited as ideas started to swarm her genius mind. 

"Or maybe I find a way to reverse the process; a way to change an   
assimilated Drone back to Human. I wonder what ideas my future   
counterpart came up with. I'll have to ask Trunks-kun and see if any   
are similar. She might not have thought of the same things I did, or   
I could put a different twist to some of her ideas and make them   
stronger, or better." 

Vejiita rolled his eyes at his mate's enthusiasm for all things   
mechanical and scientific. He was secretly very impressed with her   
ideas. She may not be able to fight the Hachi directly with fists   
and ki, but she pulls her own weight behind the scenes, taking a   
chunk out of the enemy with her inventions and genius. The pride   
that his heart and soul held for the blue-haired female in his lap was   
so overwhelming, it felt like he could explode. 

Is this love? 

Was this limitless feeling welling up inside him what his Onna   
meant? 

Bulma interlaced his fingers within her own. "Hai   
Vejiita-chan, it is." She spoke softly and leaned against his bicep.   
pillowing her head upon his muscle. 

Vejiita leaned forward and nipped at Bulma's exposed   
shoulder, working his way up her neck. She moaned softly, shivers   
tingling down her spine. She dragged her finger up and down his   
arm, tickling the fine hairs that rested there. For a species that   
turns into an extremely hairy monkey during the full moon, the   
Saiya-jiin was a fairly hairless creature. 

Bulma sat up and twisted around in his lap, so she faced him   
once again. Locking her eyes upon her Prince, with a smoldering   
smile, Bulma crossed her arms and pulled her shirt over her head,   
exposing her nakedness for her mate. She reached forward and   
tugged at his shirt. Getting the idea quickly, Vejiita helped her   
undress the both of them. 

The mated pair began to explore the already familiar   
territories of their opposite, caressing and tasting the other's skin,   
committing scents and textures to memory. Passionate cries in   
lilting soprano and resounding baritone created in perfect tune a   
harmony that criss-crossed against the other; singing a song of   
Bonded Love, and Unparalleled Happiness. The eternal melody   
echoed over the plains, resounding back and forth against the   
outcroppings, creating a haunting accoustical performance that was   
heard and understood by only one soul. 

One soul that occupied two forms. 

As the passions cresendoed, gleaming bodies moving together   
in unison, and finally climaxing in a symphony of screams and shrieks   
that uplifted each to the highest level, a blasphemously blinding   
yellow light flashed brilliantly in the air, illuminating the horizon.   
The Union would have been seen for miles, if one was there to look   
for it. 

This Ancient Song sung by the Bonded pair has been sung for   
millenia before them, and will be for a milnenia beyond. 

_Space, Somewhere around Uranus, Bridge of the Tokemonu_

Activity was as busy as normal. The ship's air and attitude   
was laced with a feeling of excitement and anticipation. Each crew   
member was anxiously awaiting the news from the fleet of Scout   
Drone sent to the next Hive, Chikyuu. What are the natives like?   
Will we be successful in our first attempt? Will there be a need for   
a second, and third? These and many more questions were swirling in   
the minds of the Drones of the Hachi aboard the starship   
_Tokemonu_. Her officers, minus Daisy, who was en route to the same   
planet, were gathered on the bridge, performing their routine tasks. 

Iris was reading over a report in his Captain's chair when a   
loud beeping noise startled him from his reading. Marigold, the   
Communications Officer, punched a few buttons on his console in   
front of him. "Sir, the relay from the Scouts on Chikyuu is here." 

Iris set his papers aside and turned to Marigold. "Is there a   
visual?" 

He nodded. "Aye, Captain." 

Iris smiled. "Well, let's see it then. We've been waiting for   
this for awhile." Marigold transferred the relay to the main viewer. 

The image was one of fuzzy static, but then a picture slowly   
began to develop. All Hachi eyes were riveted to the screen as the   
first scene of Chikyuu came into view. Green trees, green grass. A   
waning moon shined in the background--nighttime. 

Everyone watched as the camera panned around and focused   
on two unknown Chikyuu inhabitants, one female and one male. 

"Well, it looks like we have our first two Chikyuu Drones."   
Violet commented from the Helm. The male spoke, but his voice was   
too garbled to understand. 

Iris frowned and turned to his Comm. "Don't we have audio?" 

Marigold was busy playing with several buttons. "We do, sir,   
but that asteroid belt ahead of us is making the signal bounce   
around. I'm increasing the buffers." 

The audio became clear, just in time to hear the male fire off   
his first ki shot. 

"The natives have ki abilities. Are these two part of the 'Z   
Senshi' that we talked about earlier?" Rose, the First Officer   
commented, next to his Captain. 

"Where's Daisy when you need him..." Marigold muttered to   
himself. 

"The female has control of her ki, as well, Captain," Rose   
pointed out, antennae twitching as he observed the female's   
abilities. "She'd make a good candidate for the Queen." 

Iris agreed. "Remember her." He concentrated on the   
screen in front of him as he observed the male avoid his own ki   
returned to him via the Scouts. He looked familiar to the Hachi   
leader, but did not know where to place him. He turned to Rose. "Do   
you recognize the male? He strikes a chord in my memory for some   
odd reason." 

Rose nodded. "No, I don't recognize him, but I also feel I   
know him. But I have never been to Chikyuu, or even close to the   
system. Maybe we read a report with him in it." 

"But what would an alien be doing on this backwater planet?   
There is no outpost or spaceport around here for light years." Iris   
sat back, frowning. He called out to Marigold. "Patch me through to   
Daisy, Marigold. Be ready to relay the audio and visual to him, as   
well. 

Marigold nodded and began to work. "Got him, Captain." 

A soft-spoken, but rather deep, voice resounded over the   
intercomm system. "Daisy here, Captain." 

"Daisy, we've got audio and visual from Chikyuu. Marigold will   
patch the feed through to you." 

"Yes, Captain." Iris nodded, and the feed was connected to   
outer space. "Got it, Captain." 

Iris stood up. He walked around his rather large bridge,   
keeping a lazy eye on the scene enfolding on the screen. "Do you   
recognize the male? Rose or I can't place him. He seems awfully   
familiar to us." 

"I'll scan the image through my databanks, sir. Hang on for a   
minute." 

"The female got a good hit in, Captain." Violet pointed out.   
"It damaged a Scout." 

Iris turned his full attention to the battle before him. He   
watched as the female distracted the Scouts for the male. "They've   
worked together before. They compliment and protect each other   
in a battle." 

Daisy's deep voice broke through once more. "Captain, I   
identified the male, and you'll never guess who it is." 

"Big Bang Attack!" 

Iris grunted as he sympathized with the Scouts that just got   
their wings fried and their backs scorched. "Ill be glad when we've   
reinstated the new line of Drones into the fight. That self-healing   
trick will be very useful." He glanced up at the ceiling. "So who is   
he, Daisy? He's definitely a warrior. He has masterful control over   
his ki." 

A snort was heard. "Well, he should! Remember who we were   
worried about in our first briefing on Chikyuu? Well, guess who   
resides on the waterball. Everyone, meet the Saiya-jiin no Ouji,   
Roku no Vejiita, himself." 

All personnel on the bridge were silent in surprise and shock   
with this outstanding revelation. 

"Saiya-jiin," Rose spat, as if the word was a deadly curse. "I   
knew we'd have the dumb luck to run into that bastard on one of our   
missions." 

Iris gave his Second a warning glance and held up a hand to   
calm him down. 'Control yourself, Rose. He will be no threat soon.   
The Scouts have captured him." The view screen showed Vejiita   
surrounded by the paralyzing green light, unable to move. 

"He'd make a powerful Drone, Captain." Daisy commented   
from his ship. "We could use him to command Scouting parties." 

Iris nodded. "He's yours, then, Daisy." 

"Thank you, Captain." 

Rose sat forward eagerly, awaiting Vejiita's transformation   
into a Scout, as he watched one of the Scouts place an assimilation   
disc onto his chest. "Finally, the last of the Saiya-jiin is   
exterminated." 

But everyone ducked in reaction to the bright light that   
illuminated the entire bridge. The female, still unidentified, was   
bright with a corona of yellow aura surrounding her; so bright she   
was blinding the optical sensors of the starship. The crewmembers   
recovered just in time to hear the female scream and launch an   
impressive volley of ki at the Scouts as bright as her aura. 

Iris blinked a few times, clearing his vision, very impressed   
with the amount and level of power the female was releasing. Daisy's   
voice broke back into the bridge. "Captain, are you seeing what I'm   
seeing?" 

"If you mean a bunch of spots in my vision, then yes. What   
do you make of this, Daisy?" 

"Trouble." 

The Captain of the Tokemonu twitched an antennae in   
confusion. Rose looked intrigued. "What do you mean, trouble?" 

There was no sound from the distant crew for several   
moments. Then Daisy came back over the intercomm, somber. 

"Have you ever heard of the Legend of the Super Saiya-jiin?" 

Iris blinked a few times. "Are you saying what I think you're   
saying?" 

You could almost hear the grim smile in Daisy's voice. "Yes,   
Captain. The female is Saiya-jiin. A Super Saiya-jiin to be exact." 

Violet sputtered, unbelieving. "That's impossible! There are   
no Saiya-jiin left. Nevertheless a female! Friiezer destroyed the   
planet years ago!" 

Iris watched the newly identified Saiya-jiin female fire off   
her blasts, and in the process, get struck with them in the Scout's   
retailiation. He saw, and heard, her scream of agony as she fell to   
the ground. His attention then swiveled to Vejiita, when his aura   
burst bright, and he screamed a name. 

Seiika. 

Frowning slightly, he spoke out to his Security officer out in   
space. "Daisy, run a check on the name 'Seiika' in all the known   
information we have on the Saiya-jiin." 

"Right, Captain." 

Rose cursed out loud as another blinding flash came from the   
screen. The Prince went Super Saiya-jiin as well. "There's two of   
them, now, Captain." 

Iris nodded. "I can see that, Rose." He blinked a few times,   
the scene on the screen disturbing his sight. "What was that?   
What just took out the Scouts?" 

Marigold fiddled with some buttons. "I'm rewinding the feed,   
sir. I'll slow it down." The crew watched carefully as the last   
scenes of Vejiita switching to Super Saiya-jiin flickered on the   
screen. Then suddenly, a figure, more like a streak of purple,   
knocked out one Drone, and another, a tri-colored streak, took out   
the next. All cringed away as they gazed in horror and fascination   
as the two unidentified Chikyuu natives sliced and diced their   
Scouts to pieces. 

Rose watched the entire scene, his mouth set in a grim line.   
He noticed Vejiita was still in his Super state. "Why hasn't the   
Prince trasformed into a Drone? He should have at least started by   
now." He pointed to the screen. "The disc is still attached to his   
chest." 

Violet shrugged. "Maybe the switch to Super Saiya-jiin fried   
the nanoprobes." 

Daisy broke through once again. "The Scouts did not activate   
the disc. They were taken by surprise when the female attacked.   
They didn't get a chance. Captain Iris, I have the information you   
requested." 

Iris sat back down in his chair. He gave his commanding   
officer a glance. "Let's hear it, Daisy." 

They all heard him sigh. "Well, she is definitely Saiya-jiin.   
There isn't much information, but what I have, is that Seiika is   
Seiika-oujo, Roku no Vejiita's twin sister. She was supposedly   
declared dead when Friiezer destroyed her spacepod. Also with her   
was Serori, her Honor Guard and mate. He was the youngest   
Saiya-jiin ever to become an Elite in Vejiita-sei's history, outside of   
Royalty. She was supposed to be quite a powerhouse, herself. You   
can see she is, as evidenced here." 

Iris smiled, leaning back in his chair. A Saiya-jiin female. 

A Super Saiya-jiin female. 

_The freaking Princess of the entire race._

Well, this Princess is going to become a Queen. 

Iris watched the interaction of the Royal twins with the   
other two newcomers, seeing the Prince's face turn angry and   
hostile, while the future Queen of the Chikyuu Hive tried to placate   
her brother. He frowned and sighed when the two, now identified   
as Saiya-jiin, showed their true colors--Golden. He shook his head   
when Rose swore under his breath. 

"Where in the hell are all of these blasted Saiya-jiin coming   
from? Do they dwell in the woodwork like Tgghire-jiin?" Rose   
fumed, getting more and more disgusted as the events enfolded in   
front of him. 

"More Super Saiya-jiin?" Violet muttered to himself, arms   
crossed as he stared at the screen. "We are going to have one of   
the biggest fights we've ever had for control of Chikyuu." 

Iris nodded, standing up. "How far away are you from   
Chikyuu, Daisy?" 

"About two weeks, sir." 

"And how long until we reach Chikyuu?" 

Violet plotted out the course. "At maximum speed, now,   
several months, sir." 

He swiveled his antennae at his Helm. "Why so long?" 

Rose sighed. "We have two plasma coils being repaired, and   
one of our engines is completely fried." He reminded his   
commanding officer. "We haven't docked at a spaceport for quite   
some while, Captain. We are going as fast as we can with the limited   
supplies we have, now." 

Iris sighed as well. "I realize that, Rose. We haven't hit a   
neutral spaceport so we can dock. They've all been loyal to Friiezer."   
He grunted as the the Saiya-jiin made short work of the Scout   
ships. The screen faded, and went fuzzy. He noded to Marigold,   
and the feed was cut, and the main viewer went back to the outside   
view of Uranus. 

Violet spoke after a few minutes of silence. "So what's the   
plan, Captain?" 

Iris's face was neutral. "Stay on course as normal, Violet.   
Try to increase repair speed on the ship's engine and coils. We want   
to get there as soon as we can. Diasy, you will have a fight on your   
hands. Good luck." 

"I realize that, Captain. But I am prepared. Daisy, out." 

Rose spoke to his captain. "Well, one good thing came out of   
this. It looks like we found the perfect candidate for Chikyuu's   
Queen in the Saiya-jiin female, Seiika-oujo." 

Iris moved toward the doors. "Right. Increase production of   
the ki nanoprobes, Rose. Make sure all of the Warrior and Scout   
Drones have been 'upgraded,' so to speak." He glanced around at his   
officers. "You all might want to consider the ki switchover, as well.   
With who knows how many Saiya-jiin on Chikyuu, we're going to need   
every advantage we can get. It's your bridge, Rose. I'll be in my   
quarters." 

As Iris walked down the twisting corridors of the Tokemonu,   
he watched the reactions of the Scouts' defeat at the hands of the   
Saiya-jiin. Most were subdued, but some, mainly the Warrior   
Drones that he came across, had an intense look of anticipation.   
They were willing to fight for the advancement of their race. No   
matter what the conditions they come across, or what the   
consquences may turn. He nodded at a group of Warriors, actively   
discussing the battle. He enjoyed seeing the determined masks they   
wore on their faces. It meant they were not going to go in the fight   
clap-happy. They would be prepared for what may come. 

For who knew what may come, for this will be the greatest   
battle the Hachi ever will have to face in their quest for survival. 


	19. History Reborn

**A Tail To Remember**   
**by Gie (phowahcs.com)**   
****   
****   
**** ****

**Chapter Eighteen: History Reborn**   
****   
Chikyuu, Capsule Corp, Two Weeks Later 

Akane sat still, staring off into space, eyes unfocused. The   
cordless phone's receiver hung limply in her hand. 

And she remembered that day... 

_ After she had awoken from her much-needed nap,_   
_Akane moved through the halls silently. Capsule Corp was so big, and_   
_when it was quiet like this, it seemed to engulf her. The endless_   
_hallways stretched on forever--she could walk for an hour through_   
_the darkened corridors and not meet a single soul. Sorta creepy, if_   
_you thought about it too hard._

_ But today, she knew someone was here. Or was supposed to_   
_be here, still. She moved toward the resting ki level, still silent_   
_through the claustrophoic hallways. As she came upon the main_   
_living quarters, she stopped in the doorway, watching the silent_   
_figure keep his vigilant watch on the horizon._

_ He stood in the large bay window, in the same spot Tobuma_   
_had stood only earlier that morning, announcing their fates. The sun_   
_no longer shone in the window, although it was still light outside._   
_Shadows were beginning to lean toward the sprawling headquarters,_   
_signalling the start of the end of the very long, and very stressful,_   
_day._

_ He kept his silent vigil on the horizon, watching and waiting_   
_for his partner to return. His friend. Akane did not know the small_   
_Human enough to know the extent of the relationship between the_   
_two senshi, but she could sense it was strong and deep. Two_   
_comrades in arms that seen too much together, and still pulled_   
_through despite the circumstances._

_ Then they began to arrive back home._

_ The first ones back were Goku-kun and Gohan-chan. The two_   
_looked worse for wear, showing the marks of a battle well-fought._   
_Akane smiled slightly to herself as ChiChi barged out of the house_   
_and began to scold Goku-kun for daring to let her little Gohan-chan_   
_get in the way of the throes of danger. Goku tried his darnedest to_   
_placate the yelling female. But seeing no real harm came to her_   
_pride and joy, she quickly relented her anger and threw her arms_   
_around her two males, happy they came back in one piece. And alive._   
_The figure in the window watched the happy reunion with a small_   
_smile on his face, but did not say a word._

_ Arriving next was Vejiita-chan. Although you didn't see much_   
_of him--except for a streak of yellow. He was in a hurry, for Kami_   
_knows what reason. His ki was rather high--but Akane did not move._   
_She was expecting someone of her own. Neither did he; the lone_   
_senshi's eyes were still silently glued to the horizon._

_ Next came the boys. The two Saiya-jiin males from the_   
_future that claimed their world was completely taken over by the_   
_enemy they faced today. Two war-torn souls that seemed almost_   
_knitted together by fate, and circumstance. They were the only tie_   
_to their world--and her future. Her future as the Queen of the_   
_Hachi Hive on Chikyuu. Akane shuddered as she tried to think of_   
_her life as a mindless Drone--without Ranma. Maybe that was why_   
_she was mindless..._

_ But her atttention was redirected as the two young males_   
_entered the room. They, too, looked scuffed from battle, but also_   
_were none worse from wear. Both greeted her with a smile and a_   
_'Konban wa' as they passed, heading for the inner sanctum of Capsule_   
_Corp--Tobuma hesitating. He paused in front of her, staring at her_   
_intently. Akane was about to speak, to ask what was wrong, angry_   
_and frustrated at the extra attention, but was stopped_   
_mid-sentence suddenly when he, with no warning, bent down and_   
_brushed his lips against her cheek._

_ She let out a slight gasp--no more than an extra breath of_   
_air; she was completely thrown off guard by his behavior. They_   
_locked eyes with each other, dark-brown staring into dark-brown,_   
_both holding their own secrets. She felt the slightest stirring in_   
_her stomach--a gentle reminder of whom she carried within her_   
_womb. Tobuma blinked a few times, breaking the spell cast upon_   
_them. With a warm smile, a pink tinge highlighting his high_   
_cheekbones, and a slight nod, the senshi she had just come to know_   
_as her future child disappeared into the dark chasm of Capsule Corp._

_ The pale-faced senshi watched the two with a wistful smile_   
_on his face--he did not have such Family Bonds that tied him to_   
_others. But he did have a strong Bond with one of the senshi--and_   
_he was still out there. So when Akane turned back to the one she_   
_was originally watching, she did not see his face--he had returned_   
_his gaze to the window._

_ Akane started slightly when she felt a set of arms and a tail_   
_wrap themselves around her. She leaned back into the three-limbed_   
_embrace, eyes still watching the small senshi in front of her. Her_   
_hand snaked out and pressed itself against the male's cheek in_   
_greeting. "Aishiteru, koibito." she whispered to him._

_ His mouth tickled her ear. "Aishiteru, Hima-chan." They_   
_stood silent, watching the lone senshi in the window._

_ "Is everything alright?"_

_ His nose rubbed against her ear, signifing a positive answer._   
_"Hai. The Hachi are gone," a tightening of his arms was the only_   
_venting of emotion--his voice was neutral and soft. "As well as_   
_several Humans who were assimilated before we could get to them."_

_ Akane let out a gasp, mourning the loss of Chikyuu's people._   
_But her gasp turned into a plainitve cry when he continued,_   
_whispering the tragic news in her ear, so the one they watched_   
_would not hear. "Yamucha-san and Tenshinhan-san were lost, as well,_   
_Hima-chan."_

_ Akane turned around in her mate's embrace, eyes wide._   
_"Honto?" Ranma nodded somberly, and held Akane tight as she cried_   
_silently on his shoulders, in memory and in honor of the two lost_   
_senshi. She looked up into the cloudy blue eyes of her mate and saw_   
_the pain they held--she realized that he was the one that had to..._

_"Oh, Ranma-chan--you had to, didn't you?"_

_ Ranma nodded, and crushed Akane to him, blinking away the_   
_tears that he refused to let fall. After several moments, they_   
_broke apart and in unison, reached for each other's mouths, finding_   
_comfort and solace in the other's lips. There, while their eyes were_   
_closed, a solitary tear snaked its way down his cheek, falling silently_   
_to the ground._

_ The mated pair was broken from their embrace when they_   
_heard a cough. Both looked up and were face to face with the green_   
_Namek-seijin, face drawn into somber lines. "Have you said anything_   
_to Chao-tzu, Serori?"_

_ Ranma shook his head. "I just got back. Does he know yet,_   
_Akane?" She shook her head._

_ Piccolo nodded and brushed past them, striding toward the_   
_small figure still watching the horizon. He laid a wide hand on the_   
_narrow shoulder, startling Chao-tzu._

_ "Piccolo-san! Is everything alright? Is Tien-san with you?"_   
_The child-man stared with hopeful eyes into the somber black eyes_   
_of the Namek-seijiin._

_ Akane and Ranma turned and left the room, leaving the two_   
_alone. They flinched when they heard a low, keening wail erupt from_   
_the room they just occupied. Their hearts went out to Chao-tzu--_   
_they may not know what it is like to lose a beloved friend, but they_   
_could sympathize with him. _

Akane broke through her dreamstate with a start, shaking   
her head as the images fell away. Chao-tzu was heartboken when he   
found out that Tenshinhan had died. Piccolo mentioned the magical   
Dragonballs, and his subsequent resurrection, but it gave small   
comfort to the pale-faced senshi. He nodded to Piccolo, bowing   
slightly and left. 

"We haven't heard from him since. I wonder where he is?"   
Akane muttered to himself, placing the receiver back in its cradle,   
to recharge. She sighed and picked up the photo frame that rested   
on the endtable next to the couch she sat on in her and Ranma's   
suite. It was the picture she was given by Ranma the first   
Christmas they spent together. She fingered the smooth metal of   
the frame, taking in each face she had memorized of the Humans   
she had called at one point in her life an enemy or a friend. "Would   
I feel the same way if I had lost one of them?" 

Her reflections were abruptly halted when a set of familiar   
warm hands covered her eyes. She smirked and latching on to an   
arm with a free hand, tossed the 'intruder' over her shoulder. She   
laughed out loud when Ranma let out an 'oof' when he landed on the   
bed. 

"That's what you get for sneaking up on me, Koibito." Akane   
teased. 

"Aww, what didya do that for, Akane?" Ranma scowled,   
righting himself. "You knew it was me." 

"How do you know that?" she teased. "It could have been a   
Drone that snuck into the room, trying to sneak up on me." 

Ranma blanched, throwing her a pained look. "Don't even joke   
about that, Hima-chan." 

"Gomen," she apologized. She patted the seat next to her.   
"Come, let your sunflower brighten your day." 

The ebony-haired male grinned mischeviously, matching the   
sexy look on his mate's face. He crawled off the bed, and sat next   
to his mate and wife, curling her into his embrace. 

Akane snuggled deep in his arms, and rested her head on his   
slowly beating heart. "Mmmm...I could stay in your arms forever,   
Ranma." 

He blushed slightly and buried his face in her midnight-blue   
hair. "I know what you mean, Hima-chan." His mouth wandered   
lower and nibbled on her earlobe, which elicted a throaty purr from   
his soulmate. 

"Ranma?" 

"Nani?" He murmured into her neck, tasting her sweet skin.   
"I just got off the phone with Kasumi-neechan." She shifted   
slightly to look into his face. 

He brushed a lock of bangs away from her face, tucking it   
behind her ear. "What'd she want?" 

Akane rolled her eyes and slugged him playfully on the arm.   
"Baka, I called her." Ranma just rolled his eyes. "Anyway, she says   
that everything is fine back home. Nabiki is doing fine in school, and   
did you know what? Hey, are you listening to me, or just   
concentrating on my neck?" Her eyes crossed slightly. 

He glanced up from her neck, where he had been nipping a   
trail of feather-light kisses. "Nani? I'm listenin', just keep talkin'." 

Akane rolled her eyes and huffed. "Baka male   
hormones...anyway, Kasumi said that your Otousan moved back home   
with your Okaasan." 

His eyebrows shot up. "Honto?" She nodded. "I thought   
Oyaji was stuck in the Dojo for life. He'd never give up Kasumi's   
cooking." 

"Maybe she offered him something better." Akane mused,   
grinning slightly. Ranma raised a suggestive eyebrow. Akane's grin   
just widened, and she gave him a small shrug of her shoulders.   
"Anyway, Kasumi said that all Otousan does now is mope around the   
Dojo, and stare wistfully at the shoji board." 

Ranma wrapped his arms around her wasit loosely, and stared   
off into space. "He should start teachin' again, if he's bored." 

Akane's smile faded. "I wonder if 'Tousan is angry at us..." 

Ranma frowned back. "Nani? What do you mean?" 

Akane rearranged herself on his lap so she could face him.   
"Well, think about it. What was the main reason our parents had for   
living?" 

Ranma's eyebrows furrowed. "They wanted us to marry." 

Akane nodded, smiling slightly. "Okay, done, well sort of.   
What else?" 

"And take over the Dojo...oh, wait a second," Ranma flinched.   
"We aren't takin' over the Dojo, are we?" Akane shook her head, no.   
"But they don't expect us to do that while the Hachi are still a   
threat, do they?" 

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think so. But have you   
thought about it?" She placed her hand on her stomach, reminding   
him of their responsibility. "We have a child to think of, and   
support. We can't sponge off Bulma-chan forever" 

"You're right, of course. I haven't thought that far into the   
future--so many things are happening at once. I've been   
concentrating on trainin' a lot." He laid his hand on top of her, and   
flared his ki slightly. "Speaking of chibis...you went to the doctor   
today, ne?" 

Akane smiled, feeling the wonderful fluttering within. "Hai,   
Bulma-chan and I went and saw the OB-GYN, Dr. Fujinkai She   
seemed really nice. When we told her about our 'special needs', she   
didn't even flinch." 

"Even when she saw your tail?" Ranma raised an eyebrow,   
waving his own appendage. 

She nodded. "Hai. Actually, she seemed sort of excited.   
New territory to explore, and everything." 

Ranma rolled his eyes. "So, is everything okay?" 

She nodded, showing her excitement slightly. "Hai.   
Chibi-Tobuma is just fine. Progressing like normal. Although the   
docrot did wonder Bulma and I knew about being pregnant so early.   
We are only about one month along, compared to Human physiology." 

He waggled his eyebrows. "Did ya tell her that you're just 'in   
tune' with your body?" 

Akane giggled. "Yeah, in tune. Although, wouldn't be nice to   
just hand over Mirai Tobuma to our parents and say, 'Here ya go,   
one full-grown heir; have fun!" 

Ranma snorted. "Oi--no diapers!" 

"No 2 A.M. feedings!" 

"No whining!" 

"No spit-ups!" 

The mated pair rolled over the couch in morth, thinking of all   
the things they would miss, and others' faces if they presented   
Tobuma in such a manner. But their laughter soon calmed down into   
slight sighs. 

"You know, Ranma, I haven't told anyone at home about being   
pregnant--we should tell them soon. I want them to know." She   
glanced up into Ranma's face, eyes shining. "Do you have anything   
planned today?" 

Ranma ran his fingers through his mane, letting it fall back to   
the side. "Iie, not really. I was going to spar with Tobuma this   
afternoon. Do you?" 

She shook her head. "Iie. We should go this afternoon, then!   
I should ask Tobuma if he wants to come along. I wonder if he's met   
his grandparents, yet?" She stood and moved over to the wall,   
hitting the all-call button. "Tobuma? Are you there?" 

After a moment, a husky voice came over the intercomm.   
"Seiika-obaasan? This is Trunks. Are you looking for Tobu-kun?" 

Akane smiled slightly. "Hai. Do you know where he is?"   
"Hai. He's in the gravity room, sparring with Otousan. Did   
you want me to get him?" 

"Iie, I'll go talk to him myself. Ne, Trunks-kun," she glanced   
at Ranma who shurgged his shoulders. 

"Hai, Seiika-obaasan?" 

"Did you want to come with me and Ranma to Nerima this   
afternoon? It's what I was going to ask Tobuma." 

Trunks paused slightly, as if thinking. "Sure, I guess. I have   
nothing else really going on. You still have the Dojo there, right?" 

Akane nodded, although he could not see her movement. "Hai.   
The Dojo will be waiting for your kata. We'll leave after lunch, so   
Kasumi-neechan isn't surprised by our appetites. Ranma has to take   
a shower anyway. So be ready beforehand." A snort was heard in   
the background. "Yes you do, Ranma. You stink." 

Trunks chuckled over the intercomm. "Hai, Seiika-obaasan.   
I'll be ready. I have to cleam up as well, Serori-ojisan, so don't feel   
too bad. And so will Tobuma." 

Ranma grumbled in the background as Akane turned back to   
the intercomm. "Okay, Trunks. I'll talk to you later. Ja." 

"Ja ne." 

Akane turned back to Ranma and snorted when she saw him   
lying on the bed, naked. "I thought you were going to go take a   
shower, baka." 

Ranma rolled to his side, smirking. "I am--I thought you'd   
want to join me." 

She rolled her eyes and walked to the balcony. "I have to go   
ask Tobuma-chan if he wants to come or not." She opened the door,   
letting a gentle breeze waft in. "Then I'll join you. Warm up the   
jacuzzi, will you?" She jumped off the balcony, and into the yard. 

Ranma grinned wide. "Hai." 

Inside the gravity chamber, set at 250x normal, Tobuma and   
Vejiita circled each other, waiting for an opening to attack. 

Tobuma leapt, throwing a punch into Vejiita's stomach, which   
ended him getting toosed over the older Saiya-jiin's shoulder.   
Vejiita cracked his knuckles, shaking his head. Is that all you've got,   
gaki?" 

Tobuma smirked, not letting the barbs get under his skin. "A   
true Saotome always has a trick or two up his sleeve." And   
proceeded to show vejiita what was up his sleeve, by giving him a two   
fisted punch to the face. 

Vejiita easily side-stepped it. "Bah, gaki. That was pathetic.   
Are you sure you know how to fight?" 

Tobuma grinned. "Then why is your face turning black and   
blue?" 

His eyebrows shot up. "Nani? But you never even touched   
me!" As Vejiita examined his face, Tobuma snaked his tail out and   
catching the Prince off-guard, yanked his feet out from under him.   
He threw a low-level ki blast at him, keeping him on the ground. 

When the smoke cleared, Vejiita was standing once more, a   
deep scowl written on his face. "Gaki--that was low and   
underhanded." 

Tobuma put his hands on his waist and grinned. "Yeah. Like   
it?" 

Vejiita grinned. "Hai." 

A warning beep made the two Saiya-jiin turn their attention   
to the Vid-screen. "Konban wa, Tobuma-chan, Vejiita-chan. Having   
fun?" 

Vejiita threw a dirty look at his sister. "Seiika." 

Tobuma smiled slightly at his uncle and turned to the screen.   
"Okaasan, Konban wa. Did you need something?" 

Akane stuck her tongue out at her brother, and nodded. "Hai.   
I was wondering, well, Ranma and I were both wondering, but he's in   
the bath right now, but we were both wondering if you want to go to   
Nerima with us this afternoon." 

Tobuma nodded, giving Akane a bright smile. "Hai, I'd like to.   
I haven't seen them for a long time." His smile faded, though, after   
a thought crossed his mind. "How are you going to explain me to   
them?" 

Akane shrugged. "Tell the truth, I guess. It's the reason   
we're going. We need to tell our parents and family that I'm   
pregnant." 

An evil smile crossed the future Saiya-jiin's visage.   
"Nabiki-obaasan is going to be furious." 

Akane mirrored him. "I know. I'm counting on it. She's not   
goin to be there right away, so everyone else will know ahead of her.   
It'll be priceless." 

A bright light startled the three of them. "Konban wa,   
Vejiita! Wanna spar?" A fresh-smiling Goku arrived, ready to do   
battle with his Prince. "Oh, hey, Seiika-chan, Tobuma-kun! What's   
going on?" 

Akane beamed at the slap-happy Goku. "Nothing much,   
Goku-kun! Ranma and I are going to Nerima this afternoon, and was   
inviting Tobuma along. Trunks will be coming along, as well." She   
glanced at Vejiita for his reaction, but got none. "Did you want to   
come too?" 

Goku's smile slowly increased. "Is Kasumi-san and   
Saotome-san going to cook?" Vejiita perked his ears, a topic he that   
slightly interested him finally coming up. 

Akane shook her head, laughing. "You are a garbage disposal,   
aren't you, Goku-kun?" He nodded emphatically. She grinned wide.   
"Hai, more than likely we'll stay for supper." 

Goku glanced at Vejiita and both nodded their heads. "Hai,   
we're coming." Both spoke simultaneously. Goku smiled, "Hai, I   
wouldn't miss your sister and Ranma's Okaasan's food! They're as   
good as ChiChi!" 

Akane grinned. "All right. We'll leave after lunch. Be ready   
then." He glanced at her brother. "Oh, Vejiita-chan--" 

He glanced up at the screen with a raised eyebrow. "Hai,   
Seiika?" 

"Nnnnyyaaahhhh!!!" She stuck out her tongue, and turned off   
the screen. 

Both Tobuma and Goku stifled their giggles as they watched   
Vejiita's face turn red from embarrassment. "Baka..." he mumbled   
under his breath. He moved quickly over to the column in the middle   
of the room and turned off the increased gravity. "Gaki, you're done   
for the day." 

Tobuma swallowed the last of his laughter. "Ja ne, Goku-san,   
Vejiita-ojisan!" 

Vejiita just grunted, and when Tobuma had cleared the area,   
turned it back on. "Ready to be beaten, Kakarotto?" 

Goku smirked. "Ready as soon as you are, Vejiita."   
  


Lunch at Capsule Corp was usually a noisy affair--when you   
have five Saiya-jiin eating in one room, just the general clattering of   
plates and pans can make your ears ring. 

Akane thanked Ranma for the dish being passed to her, and   
when the noises settled to a dull roar, she cleared her throat. "I   
just wanted to let you all know, that we'll be leaving after lunch, so   
be ready." 

Bulma glanced up from her own small plate of food. "Where   
are you going, Seiika-chan?" 

She smiled at the lone Human in the room. "The boys and I   
are going to Nerima to visit our families. Did you want to come, too?   
Trunks-chan and Vejiita-chan are going to come along." 

Bulma glanced at her mate with a surprised look crossing her   
features. "Nani? Vejiita leave the confines of his Gravity Chamber?   
Is the world ending?" Several giggles merged in the air with a loud   
snort. 

Goku clapped his hand on Vejiita's shoulder. "Hai, Bulma-san!   
We heard that Kasumi-san and Ranma's Kaasan are going to making   
supper!" 

Bulma snorted, shaking her head. "Leave it to Mr. Stomach to   
find food in the bargain somewhere." She smirked slightly. "Well, it   
looks like I'll have to come along and baby-sit you guys..." 

Vejiita snorted, looking up from his large plate. "There is no   
need for you to come, Onna." 

Bulma frowned. "And leave me here, alone? Some mate you   
are..." 

Trunks interrupted, trying to diffuse the situation.   
"Okaasan, I'd love for you to come along." He smiled brightly at her,   
flashing his pearly whites. 

Bulma returned an identical smile. "Arigatou, Trunks-chan.   
At least someone wants me along." She pointedly glared at her mate,   
who just snorted and looked away. She turned to Akane and asked   
her a question. "So, how are you going to explain Tobuma-kun here?   
Or are you not going to?" She eyes Tobuma critically. "Although it   
will be kind of tricky, since he looks a lot like Serori-kun." 

Akane shrugged and gave Tobuma a wink. "Well, we're just   
going to say the truth, actually. It's one of the reasons we're   
going--to tell our families that I'm pregnant. They might not believe   
it, or want to believe it at first, but they'll accept it." She glanced   
at Tobuma. "Especially if you flash the Saotome katana." 

Tobuma looked startled. "How did you know that the blade I   
carried was the family katana?" 

"I saw you cleaning it the other day. I easily recognized   
it--since I've seen it flashed at Ojisan's neck several times." Ranma   
smirked and nodded in agreement. 

Tobuma smiled, one more secret out, and quirked an eyebrow.   
"Did you see the other weapon I carry?" 

Trunks snorted. "I wouldn't call that a weapon, Tobu-kun." 

" 'Tousan did." 

Ranma frowned, scratching his head. He didn't use any   
weapons... "Was it mine?" 

The multi-colored Saiya-jiin shook his head. "Iie, Otousan.   
It was Okaasan's." 

Ranma blinked. "You Okaasan's?" He glanced at Akane,   
confused. "But she doesn't have any weapons, either." His eyebrows   
went up in surprise. "Unless it's..." 

Akane was confused as well. "I don't have any weapons. I've   
been trained in several, but I don't like to use them. The only one I   
really used was..." Her eyes widened and she reached behind her,   
accessing her sub-space pocket. "You don't have Mallet-sama, do   
you, Tobuma?" 

A light breeze stirred everyone's hair when Ranma bolted   
from his seat next to his mate and resurfaced behind Goku's   
chair--on the other end of the table. "That is a weapon, Trunks-kun.   
A very nasty weapon." 

Tobuma grinned and reached behind him, bring out his own   
version. It was definitely Mallet-sama, although the hammer looked   
a little older, and more war-torn. 

Akane hefted both mallets in her hands. "Hai, it's definitely   
the same. How is it that you have it, Tobuma?" 

He shrugged his shoulders, and when Akane handed him back   
his version, returned it to his pocket. "I don't know. One day, when   
I was reaching for something in my pocket, it came out. I showed it   
to Otousan, and he explained to me what it was." He glanced at   
Ranma, who was still behind Goku's chair. "He always got a shiver   
down his back when he saw me holding it. I don't know if it was just   
the memory of Okaasan, or the memory of Okaasan using the   
mallet." 

"More than likely the memory of her using the mallet," Ranma   
grumbled. "That'll stay with me for the rest of my life." 

Meanwhile, Vejiita had been staring at the hammer in his   
sister's hands very intently. "Give it to me, Seiika." 

Akane glared at her brother. "Ask politely, baka." 

Vejiita just returned it, hand stuck out. She sighed and   
handed over her toy. The Prince snorted and stared at the hammer,   
noting the handle carefully. "Do you know what this is, Seiika?" 

Akane shrugged. "A mallet?" 

He grunted and shook his head. "It's more than a mallet.   
This is _Ke'petik_." 

Bulma, who had been pestering Vejiita for quite awhile on   
lessons of his native language and history, lit up, and leaned close.   
"_Ke'petik_? What does that mean? War-hammer of the gods?" 

Vejiita gave her a raised eyebrow and nodded. "Close enough.   
It is a legendary artifact of Vejiita-sei. The First Saiya-jiin were   
supposed to have crafted it." He frowned slightly. "It was stolen   
from the Museums when I was very young." He glanced up from   
_Ke'petik_ gave Akane a meaningful glare. "Would you know how you   
got it?" 

She shook her head. "Iie. It was there all the time. One   
day, I was really mad at something, or someone, and I just wanted   
to hit something hard. I reached behind me, and out came   
Mallet-sama." She shrugged. "I thought it was just an ordinary   
wooden hammer." 

Vejiita snorted and placed Ke'petik on the table. "You would,   
Seiika. You were never interested in the history lessons." Akane   
just scowled. Vejiita stood and reached behind him. "If you paid   
attention, you would know what this is, as well." Withdrawing his   
hand from his subspace pocket, he pulled out a long package,   
wrapped in a soft material. He laid it on the table and began to   
unwrap it. 

Ranma leaned closer, interested. "What is it, Vejiita-ouji?" 

Removing the last piece of material, Vejiita held it up. "This   
is _Ke'petik's_ mate, _Te'Ketii_." 

A long, golden sword shined in front of them. The blade was   
long and rather thin, curving slightly toward the end. Words were   
engraved in the hard metal. The hilt of _Te'Ketii_ was encrusted with   
several markings, while a thin piece of metal seemed to curl   
endlessly around the base. All in all, it was a magnificent sword. 

Trunks seemed to agree. He wiped a drop of drool from the   
corner of his mouth. "That is a handsome sword, Otousan. Can I see   
it?" 

Vejiita glanced at the drooling male, and smirked. "_Te'Ketii_   
only lets the finest Saiya-jiin senshi hold him. Are you worthy?"   
With a flick of his wrist, Vejiita tossed Trunks the sword. 

Trunks held out his hand, making to catch the sword by its   
handle. But _Te'Ketii_ had plans of his own. A dim yellow light began   
to surround the sword and it stopped in mid-air. It rotated a few   
times, and flipped itself around, so the handle faced Trunks. It   
slowly descended into Trunks hand, and with a light flash, 'turned   
off its glow. 

Vejiita nodded to himself. "_Te'Ketii_ approves of you. I found   
him in Friiezer's armory, wrapped in a rotting piece of thread. He   
didn't know what he held in his possession." 

Trunks stared at the new weapon in his hand, rotating it a   
few times, becoming comfortable with the different weight. It   
seemed to hum with a barely-contained power. "It's a very powerful   
blade, Otousan." 

The Saiya-jiin no Ouji snorted out loud. "Of course it is, gaki.   
He's yours, now. Or to more precise, you are his. _Te'Ketii_ only allows   
the finest Saiya-jiin senshi to be in contact with him, and only one at   
a time." He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "When   
combined with a Super Saiya-jiin's power, _Te'Ketii_ should be   
unstoppable." 

Trunks continued to stare at the blade in his hands. "Domo   
arigatou, Otousan." Vejiita just grunted. 

Bulma glanced at her mate, a small knowing smile curling at   
her lips. She knew he was rather proud of Trunks for his ability to   
handle the powerful weapon. "So why haven't you used _Te'Ketii_,   
Vejiita?" 

Vejiita threw her a glare. "I rely on my body to fight, Onna,   
not a blade." 

Trunks pointed at the characters on the blade. "What does   
this mean, Otousan? It's Saiya-go, ne?" 

He grunted, closing his eyes. "It says, 'The warrior is the   
extension of the blade.'" 

Akane frowned slightly. "Isn't supposed to be the other way   
around? The blade is an extension of the warrior?" 

Vejiita shrugged. "You have not held_ Te'Ketii_. If you did, you   
would know his words to be the truth." 

Akane picked up _Ke'petik_ and studied the handle. "This is   
Saiya-go, as well, ne? I always wondered what these characters   
meant." She read aloud. " 'The earth trembles at my swing and the   
skies shiver at my stroke.'" 

"Well, it certainly makes Serori-kun here tremble and shiver."   
Goku quipped. A round of laughter filled the room at the now   
red-faced Ranma's expense. 

Akane put Ke'petik away. "He's put away, you big   
scaredy-cat." 

Ranma glanced around quickly. "Ca...ca...cat? Where?" 

Akane giggled a little. "Right behind you!" 

"Eek!" Ranma let out a girlie squeal and jumped, latching onto   
the ceiling fixture. 

"Baka! Get down from there! There are no cats--I was just   
joking!" 

Tobuma leaned close to Akane. "Otousan still has his   
ailurophobia?" 

She nodded, still looking up at the frightened Ranma. "Hai. I   
take it he's cured of it later on?" 

Tobuma nodded. "He went through desensitizing. He was   
pretty good around them after that. We even had a pet cat for   
awhile. He still started slightly if Buster jumped up on his lap   
unexpectedly, or a whole cluster of them came out of nowhere. But   
for the most part, it was gone." He gave his future father a small   
smirk when he finally dropped from his safe haven. 

"So what brought him out of the Neko-ken? Since I wasn't   
there..." she trailed off, a sad look to her eyes. 

Tobuma matched it. "Well, he didn't go into Neko-ken much.   
But when he did, we'd splash him with water to activate the curse, or   
I was told Maiize-chan was able to bring him out of it a couple of   
times." 

"Maiize?" Akane frowned, a ball of jealousy beginning to well   
up in her stomach at the mention of n unknown female--a Saiya-jiin   
female. "Who's that?" 

Tobuma smiled sadly. "Maiize died when she was just over a   
year old, in a Hachi attack. She was Bulma-obaasan and   
Vejiita-ojisan's daughter. Actually, she was the one that caused   
Vejiita-ojisan's death." He paused at Akane's pale face. "It   
happened when I was three, so I don't remember her much.   
Trunks-kun has a picture of her; you should ask him to see it   
sometime. She looks exactly like Ojisan only with Obaasan and   
Trunks' blue eyes." 

She swallowed and nodded. She glanced at her watch and   
stood up. She caught Ranma's glance and pointed to the time. He   
nodded and stood as well, moving away from the table to get ready   
some last minute things. "All right, minna. We should get going." 

Trunks glanced at his aunt. "How are we going to get there?   
Fly?" 

She shrugged. "Sure. I don't want to wait for a train." 

"I could teleport us all there, Seiika-chan." Goku offered. 

Akane shook her head. "You don't have to do that, Goku-san.   
Actually, I'd like to see how long it takes to fly from one point to the   
other. You can, if you want." She smirked. "Although I don't know   
who you'd center on." 

Goku smiled. "Okay. I'm going to go home and get ChiChi and   
Gohan. Is it okay if they come too?" 

The female Saiya-jiin smiled brightly. "Of course, Goku-san.   
You don't ever have to ask to bring your family along!" Goku smiled   
back and nodded. With a farewell wave, he flickered out of sight. 

Everyone met outside, and were about to launch into the air,   
when they were stopped by a loud cough. "Excuse me, minna, but you   
all tend to forget that I don't know how to fly!" Bulma smiled   
through gritted teeth. 

Akane giggled as she hovered in the air. "Oops. Well, that's   
what Vejiita-chan is for!" 

Vejiita snorted and turned away. "I am not her slave." 

Bulma snorted back. "Who said I wanted you to carry me?   
You didn't want me to come in the first place!" She growled slightly   
and turned to Trunks. "Trunks-chan, you'll carry your lovely 'Kaasan,   
won't you?" 

Trunks smiled and bowed deeply. "It would be my pleasure,   
Okaasan." He swept her legs out from under her. Bulma let out a   
squeal and held onto his neck tight. "Your chariot awaits, Madame." 

Bulma giggled like a schoolgirl. "So chivalrous! I could get   
used to this very easily!" She felt a pang of emotion hit her senses,   
and she glanced at her mate, who just turned away quickly. She   
sighed and rested her head on her son's muscled shoulder. "Are we   
ready? Let's get this show on the road!" 

Akane grinned and flared her aura. "Hai!" She turned toward Nerima, and   
led the way, Ranma next to her.   



	20. Nerima, Ho!

A Tail To Remember   
by Gie: phowahcs.com   


A Tail To Remember   
Chapter Nineteen: Nerima, Ho! 

Nerima, Tendo Dojo 

Kasumi bustled around the familiar rooms: dusting, cleaning,   
folding laundry and taking care of other assorted daily tasks she   
performed, only at a pace more frantic than she was used to   
performing. 

Soun watched his oldest daughter as she moved from room to   
room, doing her daily chores. When she passed by him a fourth time   
in fifteen minutes, he caught her attention. "Kasumi-chan, do you   
need help with anything?" 

She paused and shook her head, flashing him a gentle smile.   
"I'm fine, Otousan. I'm almost done with the laundry and I just   
finished dusting the living room." 

"Are you sure, dear? I'm not doing much of anything..." Soun   
trailed off, a lopsided grin flashing across his face. 

Kasumi thought hard, and gave her father a smile. "Well, if   
you want, Otousan, I could use a few things from the market." 

He nodded and stood quickly. "Of course, Kasumi. You should   
have said something earlier. What do you need? Milk? Sugar?   
Some spice?" 

She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a sheet   
of folded paper. "I need the items on this list, Otousan." Kasumi   
handed her father the piece of paper. 

He took it from her with a nod. "You needn't worry, Kasumi."   
He started to unfold the proffered piece of paper. "I'll get   
what...you...need." As he was talking to her, his eyes got wider when   
he flipped to the next page. And the next. And the mini-novel that   
followed after that. 

He glanced at her with a frown. "You weren't planning on   
getting all of these items today, were you? By yourself? This is a   
very long list." He glanced down it, his eyes growing larger and   
larger as he read the groceries needed. "What did you need all of   
this for? This is more that you, Nabiki and I will eat in a month!" 

She nodded. "I know, Otousan. I went to the market   
yesterday for our food. This is all for tonight's supper." 

Soun's jaw dropped to the floor. "To..tonight's meal?" His   
hand started to shake slightly. "Who are we expecting? The   
Emperor and his Army?" 

Kasumi giggled and moved about the room, straightening up as   
she talked to her father. "You're so funny, Otousan. Of course not."   
She glanced at him over her shoulder as she folded a blanket.   
"Akane-chan and Ranma-kun are coming, remember? She said to   
expect a few extra hearty appetites." 

Soun nodded, a sweatdrop rolling down his head. "Just how   
many appetites are we expecting?" He glanced back down at the list,   
once more. 

She paused in her task and ticked off names on her fingers,   
thinking out loud. "Well, there's you, me, Nabiki, Akane and Ranma,   
Vejiita-ototochan and Bulma-san, Goku-san and his family, and Akane   
said to expect a couple more, but she didn't give any names. Maybe   
it will be that nice friend of theirs, Kurillin-san." She glanced at her   
father, who had sunk lower and lower to the ground with each name   
she mentioned. "Are you okay, Otousan?" 

He nodded weakly, his hand on his forehead. "How did you   
expect to pay for all of this food, Kasumi? The Dojo doesn't have   
this much in petty cash--and I don't think the market gives this   
much credit." He paled as a thought crossed his mind. "Nabiki-chan   
will faint when she sees this bill." 

"Don't worry, Otousan," Kasumi soothed her father's worries.   
She explained the situation for him. "Akane-chan said she'll pick up   
the bill. She has an expense account Bulma-san gave her, from   
Capsule Corp." She smiled brightly as her father stood up, looking a   
little better. 

At that moment, the door opened and Saotome Nodoka and   
Genma entered; Nodoka bearing a gigantic plate of assorted cookies.   
"Kon'nichi wa, Kasumi-chan. I hope you didn't mind we let ourselves   
in." 

Kasumi shook her head, greeting the visitors with a smile and   
a bow. "Of course not, Saotome-obaasan. Do you need help with the   
plate? They look delicious!" 

Nodoka gave her a grateful smile, but shook her head. "I'm   
fine, Kasumi-chan. And you'd have to ask Genma how they taste--he   
kept sneaking samples all the way here." She threw him an icy glare. 

Genma shrugged his shoulders, offering no excuse. "How   
about a game before the kids get here, Tendo?" he said, turning to   
his friend and giving him a healthy tap on the shoulder with his   
meaty paw. 

Soun shook his head. "Later, Saotome. Right now we have a   
mission to fulfill." 

Genma raised an eyebrow. "We, Tendo?" He glanced at the   
tall male warily. "And what mission would this be?" 

"Our mission," Soun stated, his voice sounding authoritative,   
"is to go buy the food for dinner for a horde of hungry Saiya-jiin.   
Do you accept your mission, Saotome?" He stared at him pointedly,   
daring him to refuse such an important task. 

"Of course, Tendo, of course!" He chuckled nervously, waving   
his hands in the air. 

Kasumi handed her father a small package. "This is the   
number you give them at the market, and an empty storage capsule,   
Otousan. I wouldn't expect you and Saotome-ojisan to carry all   
those groceries home by yourselves." 

Soun nodded, taking them and putting them into the inside   
pocket of his brown gi. "Arigato, Kasumi-chan. I was wondering how   
you were going to bring the items home if you were going to go by   
yourself." He turned to Genma, handing him the list. "Shall we, my   
friend?" 

"Ah, Tendo," Genma paused in the doorway, as he glanced   
through the list, a sweatdrop forming on his head. "How did you   
expect to pay for all of this food?" He blanched hard as he   
unfolded another two pages and noticed he wasn't half way through. 

Soun chuckled lightly. "Who said I was paying, Saotome?" 

Nodoka watched them leave and turned to Kasumi. "You   
deserve a break, dear. Why don't you go have a bath, and I'll   
prepare tea." 

"But I have to start preparing...I couldn't let you do that..." 

Nodoka interrupted Kasumi's protest with a hand raised and a   
stern glance. "Go, Kasumi-chan. Relax. You deserve it. I can take   
are of the kitchen." 

She started to protest more, but backed down from Nodoka's   
glare. "Hai, Saotome-obaasan. I'll go have a bath." She sighed   
resignedly and walked out of the room. 

The older female giggled slightly and watched the Matriarch   
of the Tendo family drag her feet upstairs. "It's not like I ordered   
you to your death, Kasumi-chan," she called up after her. 

Nodoka immediately started to prep the kitchen for the large   
meal ahead. After that task was finished, she prepared tea and   
awaited someone's return: be it her husband and his longtime friend   
from shopping; Kasumi from her bath, or her son, daughter-in-law   
and their friends from Western Capital. 

It turned out to be Kasumi was first, as she returned from   
her warm bath with a relaxed expression and a fresh dress. Nodoka   
nodded approvingly, knowing the young woman needed the time to   
herself. She looked better already. "That's a pretty dress, Kasumi." 

"Arigato, Nodoka-obaasan." She let her fingers run across   
the fabric, feeling a bit self-conscious in front of the older female.   
She glanced around, looking for a familiar face. "Has Otousan   
arrived yet? Or Akane and Ranma?" 

She shook her head, giving Kasumi a small smile. She nodded   
to the chair across from her. "Iie. No one has arrived." 

Kasumi sighed softly and sat down, taking the cup of tea   
offered to her. "Akane-chan mentioned that she had something to   
tell us. I just wonder what it could be?" She glanced down into the   
cup to see if it had the answers. It did not. 

"I wouldn't know, dear." Nodoka sipped her own tea and   
glanced at the younger woman. "Maybe they're done fighting that   
enemy they were preparing for?" 

"That would be good news," Kasumi mused. 

They sat in companionable chatter, slowly passing the time.   
After some time, a blur of blue caught the attention of Kasumi's   
sharp eyes. "Nani? What was that?" She stood and moved to the   
kitchen window, which overlooked the backyard. She darted back   
into the other room, sweeping past the startled Nodoka.   
"Nodoka-obaasan! Akane and Ranma are here!" 

She none-too-gently threw open the sliding doors to the   
backyard. Both of the women watched as Akane, Ranma, and the   
rest of the Z crew touched down to the backyard. Kasumi raised a   
hand to her cheek. "And with one, two...three, four guests! Oh, my.   
It's a good thing we're making a lot of food." She let a small giggle   
escape. 

Nodoka blinked a few times. "I forgot they know how to fly."   
Her eyes scanned the crowd of familiar and unfamiliar faces. "I see   
Ranma, Akane, her brother, and Briefs-san." She pointed to Trunks   
and Tobuma. "Who are the two others? I wonder if that is her   
surprise?" 

Kasumi didn't answer her question but stepped off the porch   
and greeted the welcome guests. "Konban wa, Akane-chan,   
Ranma-kun, minna." 

Akane turned toward the house. "Kasumi-oneechan!" She   
flashed to her older sister and threw her arms around her, crushing   
the taller female in her embrace. "I missed you! How have you   
been?" 

Kasumi held her sister close to her, reveling in the feel of   
the smaller girl...woman in her arms. She closed her eyes, holding   
back a few tears. "I've been...fine...Imoutochan. I talked...to you   
this...morning, remember? I need to breathe..." She let out a small   
gasp. 

Akane released her, blushing slightly. "Gomen nasai,   
Oneechan." 

Kasumi smiled and pulled back, giving her sister a loving smile.   
Her features turned thoughtful, as she scanned the blue-haired   
female in her embrace, giving her a critical look. "You've put on   
muscle, Imoutochan." 

Akane shrugged modestly and nodded. "That's what happens   
when you train as intensely as Ranma and I have been. Vejiita-chan   
and Goku-san are tough sensei." 

"You do look in fine health, Akane-chan." Nodoka commented,   
after releasing Ranma from her own hug. "Kon'nichi wa, minna-san."   
She turned and addressed the rest of the group. 

Scattered greetings and a deep grunt answered her welcome.   
"Shall we go inside, Akane-chan? Then you can re-introduce   
everyone." She glanced at Tobuma and Trunks. Something struck a   
chord in her as she stared at the tri-colored male. The tall man just   
blushed under her scrutiny and turned away. "I don't remember   
everyone's names." 

Akane giggled to herself as she noticed where she glanced   
and Tobuma's reaction. She nodded and gave her mother-in-law a   
smile. "Hai, Obaasan." She watched Nodoka go inside and then   
turned to the two future Saiya-jiin, waving a finger in warning.   
"Remember, they don't know who you really are, so until you're   
introduced, don't call me and Ranma by our relative titles." 

"Hai, Seiika-chan." Tobuma smiled, winking at his future   
mother. 

Ranma rolled his eyes, and threw a weak shot at his progeny.   
"Just don't get fresh with your 'Seiika-chan,' Tobuma-kun," he   
glanced at the purple haired male and extended his warning,   
"Trunks-kun, or your ass is grass." 

"Hai, Serori-san," Both Tobuma and Trunks spoke   
simultaneously. They glanced at each other and gave the group an   
identical smirk. All turned and went inside. 

Vejiita, who had been silent since Capsule Corp, hung back   
from the talkative group. He knew coming back here for Seiika, to   
the place she associated as home, and to Serori, who would follow   
his sister anywhere, meant quite a lot to them. So he kept quiet   
about their behavior.   
Bulma, though, noticed her mate's more-than-usual anti-social   
behavior and paused as well. "Are you still mad about me flying   
in with Trunks?" She pouted slightly and rubbed her hands on a hard bicep. 

He gave his mate a glance and rolled his eyes. 

Bulma frowned. If that wasn't it, then what? She leaned in   
and pecked him on the cheek. "Cheer up, Otoko." He just grunted   
and went inside. The blue-tressed genius caught his tail as it went   
by. She held it loosely in her hand, and caressed the soft fur gently,   
all the while sending reassuring thoughts through their Link. 

The Prince started slightly at her touch, and glanced over his   
shoulder. He pulled it gently from her hand and let it snake up her   
arm in a firmer grip. 

Bulma sighed to herself and followed him into the house.   
He'd tell her when he was ready. She hoped. 

A shiver of unease rippled through their Link. 

Everyone was settling down in the living room for tea and the   
sweets Nodoka contributed. Akane watched her twin and his mate   
settle into a corner. She sensed through the Bond they shared as   
twin siblings that there was something more than his normal   
bad-attitude behavior amiss with him. She caught his eye and   
questioned him silently with a raised eyebrow. 

Vejiita had a bad feeling. He didn't know what it was, but   
something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The uneasy   
sensation hit him the second he touched ground in Nerima. The   
worst thing about the entire situation was that he didn't know what   
to make of it, and that frustrated him to all extent. 

It didn't help matters that the two females in his life kept   
giving him strange looks. He couldn't answer their query's, for he   
didn't know himself. So he did the only option available--he ignored   
them, and brooded silently. 

He was broken out of his contemplation when his sister asked   
a question. "So where are 'Tousan and Ojisan?" 

Kasumi beamed brightly. "They went to the market for me.   
Wasn't that kind of them? They should be back soon." She paused   
and another thoughtful look crossed her features. "So what did you   
want to say to us, Akane?" 

Akane blinked. She glanced at Ranma, who was seated next   
to her. He shrugged silently, not giving her a direct answer. It   
didn't matter any way to him. She let a silent sigh roll around in her   
head. "Well, we want to wait until 'Tousan and Saotome-ojisan are   
here before we say anything." 

Nodoka glanced between the pair, who were giving each other   
secret looks. Something was up, but she didn't know what it was.   
"Tell us what, Akane-chan?" But she was going to find out. 

Akane shook her head, a quirky smile turning the corners of   
her lips. "My lips are sealed, Obaasan." 

Nodoka frowned. She was going to press the subject   
further, but was interrupted abruptly by a figure appearing in front   
of her. "Oh, my!" She let out a small gasp in shock. 

Goku blinked a few times, getting his bearings. He glanced   
around, and recognized the female in front of him. "Gomen nasai,   
Saotome-san. I didn't mean to startle you. I centered on   
Seiika-chan, and you happened to be next to her." He looked   
sheepish at his mistake. 

Nodoka patted her chest a few times to help calm her heart.   
"That's all right, Goku-san. You can 'pop' in anytime." 

"Goku-san, demo..." 

He turned to his addressee. "Hai, Serori-kun?" 

He smirked and nodded in his direction. "You might want to   
get off my 'Kaasan's lap. You're not the lightest person out there." 

Goku smiled apologetically and stood quickly. "Are you all   
right, Saotome-san? I didn't mean to squash you!" 

Nodoka smiled kindly and shook her head. "I'm fine,   
Goku-san. Don't worry yourself." 

He smiled back, his worry forgotten as he moved to a vacant   
seat. "So what's happening?" 

Vejiita spoke from his corner. "We're waiting for Seiika to   
tell them her news." 

"But I want to wait until everyone gets here, before I say   
anything." She spoke before Goku could spill the beans. 

The tall Saiya-jiin watched the blue-haired Saiya-jiin female   
next to him. He could sense her excitement without even reading   
her ki. He could see her nervousness of the important news she had   
to tell. She kept glancing at her mate and future child, flashing   
them a small smile. Goku, being the kind-hearted soul he is, decided   
to help her along. "I could go get them!" Before Akane could   
protest, he placed two fingers on his head and fizzled out of sight. 

Akane let out a sigh and shook her head, dropping her hands   
back in her lap. She shrugged helplessly. "I guess he was going to   
go." 

Goku startled them all once more by popping back in, a   
familiar sheepish look crossing his features. "Gomen, Seiika-chan. I   
don't know what their ki feels like, so I can't focus on them." 

Vejiita snorted from his and Bulma's corner. "Bakana." 

"Hush, Vejiita," Bulma scolded him. 

Akane rolled her eyes and smiled back at the naiive, but   
good-intentioned Saiya-jiin. "That's okay, Goku-san. They'll be back   
soon. So, did you talk to ChiChi-san?" 

He nodded enthusiastically. "Actually, that's why I'm here.   
ChiChi wanted to know if she needed to bring anything." 

Kasumi shook her head when Akane gave her a questioning   
glance. "Iie, Goku-san. I might need her help in the kitchen, but she   
need not bring anything." 

Goku nodded, giving her one of his patented smiles. "Arigato,   
Kasumi-san! I'll pop back home and get them, if that's all right. See   
you soon!" With a wave, Goku popped out of existence again. 

Ranma sighed, his lip pulled down in an exaggerated pout. "He   
still hasn't taught me how to do that." 

"Tadima!" 

All eyes turned to the new arrivals. Soun and Genma came   
into the room, shoulder to shoulder. Soun handed Kasumi the filled   
capsule. "Mission accomplished, Kasumi-chan." He blinked and   
glanced around at his filled living room. "Konban wa, minna-san." He   
bowed in greeting. 

"'Tousan!" Akane jumped up from her spot on the couch and   
leaped into her father's arms, flattening him to the floor with her   
bear hug. He accepted it graciously, with few tears. 

"My baby has come back home to me!" he wailed, a salty   
fountain raining down upon his 'lost' daughter. 

Akane giggled, and hugged him tighter. Same old   
'Tousan--she really missed him. "Oh, don't be silly, 'Tousan." 

Genma sat down next to Nodoka, grabbing one of the cookies   
on her plate. "Boy," he acknowledged Ranma. 

Ranma snorted and shook his head. He was the same, too.   
Well, he didn't expect the blob of fat to change drastically in only a   
month. "Oyaji." He eyed his paternal guardian and 'tsked' to   
himself. "You're getting soft, Pop." 

Genma put a meaty hand to his bulk and glared at his 'son.'   
"Never, Ranma--you're the one getting soft, living the luxurious life   
in the Western Capital. You look like you never even lifted a finger   
in training." He sneered at the young Saiya-jiin. 

Ranma growled and stood up, his aura flaring slightly. "What   
in the hell are you talking about, Oyaji? When I am not sleeping, I   
am training! I have never been trained so intensely--our training   
trip was a pleasure vacation compared to the past month!" He glared   
at his father, challenging him. 

Vejiita stood as well, his pride miffed at the insult Genma   
threw. "Watch what you say, Human--your miserable life hangs on a   
delicate balance with your next sentence." 

Genma ignored Vejiita's warning and pushed a finger into   
Ranma's stomach. "You, training? Bah! I had to throw you out the   
window every morning so you'd get up! Without my superior   
influence, it seems you've withered away to nothing! And you call   
yourself a martial artist!" Genma laughed in Ranma's face, a smirk   
curling at his fat lips. He shoved another cookie into his mouth. 

Ranma let his aura rip around him, flames of ki lighting the   
room and causing scary shadows under his eyes. The Humans in the   
room sucked in a breath, staring at the fiercely glowing Ranma. "I'll   
show you a martial artist, Oyaji!" 

Vejiita snarled, catching the entire room's attention. "You   
will not talk that way to the Saiya-jiin no Oujo's consort, Human, if   
you value your next breath." Vejiita's eyes seemed to glow under the   
light Ranma's aura cast upon him. 

Genma glanced at Vejiita and snorted. "You. You're the one   
that claims to have trained my son--it seems to me you've failed. All   
I see is a whiny, weak mama's-boy." 

Vejiita roared, and immediately flared to Super Saiya-jiin.   
"Shin'ne!!!" 

Akane quickly moved and flared into Super Saiya-jiin herself,   
barricaded her brother, growling something in a language that the   
Humans did not understand. Vejiita growled back, speaking in the   
same tongue. The set of twins bickered back in forth, arguing   
heatedly, their voices rising with each line of dialogue that passed   
between them. 

Finally, Vejiita stepped away from Akane and with purposeful   
steps, stood in front of Genma. His aquamarine eyes bored holes   
into the small pupils that hid behind the thin wire frames. The   
shorter Super Saiya-jiin held up a finger lit with ki and pointed it at   
Genma's forehead, barely brushing against the skin. 

Genma gulped heavily but stood straight, his eyes never   
leaving Vejiita, showing a rare backbone--or no common sense at all.   
The latter was evident when a putrid odor filled everyone's nose.   
The Ouji glanced down at the puddle forming at his feet and snarled,   
spitting his disgust. He pulled his finger away, and distinguished his   
ki. He growled something to Akane once more over his shoulder, and   
powering down, walked out of the house. 

Akane snarled something back and letting her hair deepen to   
midnight-blue once more, stormed after him. Ranma and the others   
following close behind. 

The Humans glanced between each other, completely lost to   
the events that just took place. "What's going on?" Nodoka finally   
spoke, voicing the question on all of Nerimians' minds. 

Trunks, the last Saiya-jiin out of the room, glanced at Genma   
and shook his head. "I don't think you really want to know." His   
cerulean eyes flicked to each of the Humans in the room. "Although,   
you may want to thank Seiika-obaasan. She just saved the Human's   
life." He quietly closed the door behind him, leaving them to ponder   
his words. 

Nodoka turned to Bulma, who stood in the corner with a   
frown creasing her face. "Do you know what happened, Bulma-san?" 

Bulma blinked a few times, glancing up at her speaker. "Nani?   
Hmm...sort of. What they were speaking was Saiya-go, their native   
language. I caught the main idea of the argument." She glanced at   
Genma and shook her head, repeating her son's action. "When you   
insulted Serori-kun, you insulted Seiika-chan, who is his mate.   
Vejiita warned you to stop, and think about what you say, but you   
didn't listen and ignored his words." She paused slightly, letting her   
words sink in before continuing. "When you insulted Serori-kun's   
skills, you also insulted Vejiita, who is his sensei. Then you directly   
challenged him, by saying he was a failure." 

Bulma closed her eyes, trying to remember something.   
"Saiya-jiin Law goes as follows--'When a member of the Royal House   
of Vejiita-sei is insulted, or damage has come to Royalty, be it   
physical, or verbal, without their consent, punishment is death.' She   
opened her eyes are stared directly at Genma. "Not only did you   
insult both members of the Royal House, you insulted their   
mates--who are included under the Law. It is considered   
high-treason to the Crown." 

She watched as all four Human's faces paled as the   
ramifications of Gemna's actions were realized. She nodded in   
agreement. "Vejiita did warn you, twice, Saotome-san. You have to   
remember that both 'Ranma' and 'Akane' are not Human. They're not   
even from Chikyuu--they're aliens from outer space! Their customs   
and practices are completely different from ours. They may have   
been raised for most of their lives on this planet, but they do   
remember what the Laws of Vejiita-sei are, and do respect them." 

The blue-haired genius sighed, and rubbed the bridge of her   
nose. "Vejiita, however, is a Saiya-jiin through and through. Where   
ever he goes, so do the Laws of Vejiita-sei--even if it does not exist   
physically anymore. It exists within him, and that's all that matters   
to him. He may abide by the laws of Chikyuu, but if they conflict   
with Saiya-jiin law, what do you think he will follow?" 

She walked past the ghost-white Nerimians, and paused in   
the door frame. "Also, by insulting Vejiita, you have insulted me, his   
mate. I may not have taken offense to your remarks, Saotome-san,   
but Vejiita has. You're four-times damned in his book. I suggest not   
crossing him again. Seiika-chan may not be there to save you." She   
closed the door behind her quietly. 

Genma swallowed once and blinked. "Kuso," and promptly   
fainted, falling to the floor. 

Nodoka sat down and fanned her face. It was flushed bright   
from the implications Bulma raised about her son and his mate, and   
his entire race. She had gotten used to thinking of her little boy as   
a Human. "Ranma-chan isn't Ranma anymore, is he?" 

Kasumi put a hand on her heart and glanced outside.   
"Vejiita-ototochan wouldn't do anything horrible like kill   
Saotome-ojisan over some words, right, Otousan?" 

Soun stared hard at Genma, who was still unconscious on the   
floor, and then glanced outside, to where Bulma and the five   
Saiya-jiin stood. Vejiita and Akane seemed to have continued their   
argument outside. "I don't know, Kasumi. You must remember;   
within a Saiya-jiin is the power to destroy an entire planet--including   
Ranma-kun and Akane-chan. They may not want to do such a thing,   
but they hold the power to do so. And Vejiita-san has the   
blood-history of who knows how many millions of lives on his hands."   
He glanced back down at his friend. "I'm afraid Genma would be just   
another body in the way."   



	21. Confrontations

A Tail To Remember   
by Gie: phowahcs.com   
  


A Tail To Remember   
Chapter Twenty: Confrontations   
  
Outside--Tendo Yard 

Vejiita stomped out into the yard, anger rolling off him in   
thunderous waves. "How dare he! First he insults my student, then   
he insults me! And I'm supposed to let him off with nothing?" 

Akane burst out the back door, followed by Ranma, Tobuma,   
Trunks, and finally Bulma. "Vejiita! How dare you threaten Ranma's   
father in such a way!" 

"You know the laws, Seiika!" Vejiita whirled around, eyes   
blazing. "No outsider insults or threatens the Royal line! That   
kusotare should be a pile of dust." 

"We aren't on Vejiita-sei anymore, Vejiita! Those laws don't   
apply here. You know better than that." 

His face got a deeper red, if possible. "We are Saiya-jiin.   
We follow Saiya-jiin law. There are no exceptions to this rule,   
Seiika-oujo." 

Ranma stepped closer. "I didn't take offense to what he said,   
Oujisama. Saotome Genma is like that--that is how he talks. It's   
just his way." 

The Prince just spat. "That is no excuse. Such disrespect   
for Royalty is not tolerated!" He turned slightly to face his sister.   
"This may not be Vejiita-sei, Seiika, but I will not let Imperial Laws   
be broken and disregarded no matter what planet I am on." 

"Genma is not Saiya-jiin, Vejiita. He was no aware of the   
Imperial Laws." Akane argued, throwing her hands up into the air. 

"Don't you think I am aware of that?" he argued back. "I   
gave him a warning. He foolishly ignored it. After the second insult,   
I gave him another one. He scoffed at me and then insulted me! It   
is completely his fault he did not heed them. I should have   
destroyed him after the first--with no warning!" 

Bulma laid a firm hand on his arm. "Calm down, Vejiita." He   
just threw her a look of contempt. She gave as good as she got.   
"Seiika-chan is right. You can't hold Saotome-san responsible for   
breaking the Imperial Laws. He did not know they existed, so he   
could not break what he did not know. He may not be innocent, but   
he was ignorant." Bulma smirked slightly. "Besides, I don't think   
he's going to say anything in your presence for a long time. He's   
quite aware of the high-treason he committed, and is sleeping off   
his..." 

Vejiita snorted and spat once more, clearly displeased. He   
pulled away from her and faced the koi pond, arms crossed. "He will   
not get away with such an insult to the Crown and the Royal House   
of Vejiita-sei." 

Akane sighed. The death of Saotome Genma has been   
averted. For the time being. Akane snapped her head around when   
she heard the shoji doors opening. "He lives with the knowledge   
that you have the ability to take his life at a moment's notice. He   
steps out of line..." she trailed off, glancing away from the porch   
and turned back to her brother, whose back still faced her.   
"Knowing Saotome-ojisan, the threat you hold over him will keep him   
in line for some time..." 

Vejiita grunted and turned around. He locked eyes with his   
sister, mulling over her words. He flicked his gaze to the people on   
the porch, his black eyes boring holes into a particular being behind   
her, telling of unspeakable torture he could commit to the bag of fat   
and water. His eyebrows came together into his trademark scowl   
and giving Akane one final stare, he nodded once and turned back to   
face the pond. 

The air was filled with the sound of breaths finally being   
released. The thick and heady tension that had once filled the air   
cleared away like fog being burned away by the sun. Everyone's   
postures relaxed noticeably, until they all turned toward the house   
when a faint shuffle was heard. 

The four set of eyes were downcast as they stepped off the   
porch. Genma, after a 'gentle' prodding of Nodoka's katana, stepped   
forward and stood in front of Ranma and Akane. His eyes did not   
meet theirs as he went down on his knees. "Gomen nasai,   
Vejiita-oujisama, Seiika-oujosama, Serori-san, for my ignorance to   
the Crown. I was not aware that my words would cause discord to   
the Royal House of Vejiita-sei." He bowed low, his forehead   
touching the ground. "Please forgive me." 

Everyone watched silently for the Saiya-jiin's reactions.   
Vejiita turned around and stared coldly at the top of Genma's head,   
but he did not say a word. Ranma glanced at Akane and she nodded.   
He bent down to Genma's level. "Otousan, there is nothing to   
forgive. You did not know, so you can not be held accountable for   
your actions." He stood and helped Genma up, who in turn gave his   
son an unreadable glance. 

"But now you know, Human," Vejiita spoke quietly, but   
malicious intent was dripping off his tongue. "And so do the rest of   
them. Watch your attitude in front of Royalty." 

Akane scowled at her brother but smoothed out her features   
when she turned back to her Chikyuu family. "But we still consider   
ourselves your children, and you are our parents." She smiled   
slightly as Kasumi, Nodoka and Soun approached the group. "Our   
biological parents died over thirty years ago, with the destruction of   
Vejiita-sei." 

Kasumi blinked, confused. "How can that be, Akane? You're   
not even twenty yet." 

"We were in cryo-statsis, in the pods, for over fifteen years.   
Without it, we would be thirty-five years old." Ranma explained. 

"When we arrived on Chikyuu, we were actually four years   
old, not two, like you thought." Akane added. 

Bulma raised an eyebrow. "So you're thirty-five?" She turned   
to her mate for confirmation. At one time, he had told her he was   
younger than that. 

He glanced at her and shook his head. "Iie. I spent four   
years in cryo-statsis on a purging mission for Friiezer." She nodded,   
filing the information away. That made more sense. 

Akane turned her attention to Tobuma and Trunks, who had   
been quiet the entire time the whole family mess was being   
straightened out. She gave them a questioning smile and got two in   
return. "Actually, speaking of family lines," Ranma swiveled his head   
around fast, his eyes wide with questions. 

Akane nodded and continued, her face growing brighter. "We   
have an announcement." 

Everyone turned their attention to the blushing female.   
Kasumi and Nodoka glanced at each other, their expressions curious.   
"Announcement?" The eldest Tendo asked. "Akane-chan..." Her   
eyes lit up and she sucked in a harsh breath. "Are you..." 

Akane nodded enthusiastically. She placed a hand over her   
still-flat stomach and beamed bright. "In about five months!" 

Both Nodoka and Kasumi let out a high pitched squeal and   
surrounded the expectant mother. "Oh, Akane-chan! What   
wonderful news!" 

"Congratulations, Akane-chan! That is most exciting news! I   
am so happy for you." 

Genma and Soun, the clueless males that they are, stared at   
each other and blinked a few times in silence. They turned   
simultaneously to Ranma, who had the biggest grin on his face.   
"What did you do, Ranma?" 

Ranma's grin turned wider. "Well, Oyaji, Tendo, I made you   
grandparents." 

The Elder males' expressions were blank for several moments,   
which, after the words had a chance to sink in, turned into slow wolf   
grins. 

"You dog, boy!" 

"My baby is going to have a baby! Waahh!!! I'm so proud!" 

Both 'patted' their congratulations to the expecting father,   
which, in turn, sent him sprawling into the pond. 

"We must celebrate the new heir, Tendo!" 

"Of course, Saotome, of course." 

"The Master's stash?" 

"Indeed." 

The two males, oblivious to anything or anyone around them,   
especially a fuming female Ranma, walked arm-in-arm toward the   
house, giving each other hearty congratulations, as if the pregnancy   
was all their idea. 

Vejiita, who was watching the goings-on with a barely   
contained sneer, snorted disgustedly at the display of emotions.   
"Can't the Humans do anything without blabbering on so? It's just a   
gaki." 

He received an elbow in the side from his mate. "Hush, you.   
Be happy for them." She gave him a smirk and wrapped her arms   
around one muscled bicep. "Besides, my 'Kaasan is going to be twice   
as bad when I tell her." Tobuma and Trunks snickered at the   
strained look on Vejiita's face. 

Akane broke free from the small clutch of female arms and   
called out to the males entering the house. "'Tousan, Ojisan, matte!" 

The males turned around, and rejoined the females as they   
watched Akane pull out a thermos of water, and heat it with her ki.   
She handed it to Ranma, who changed back to male, as well as giving   
Genma a nasty glare. "We're not done, yet." 

"What is it, Akane-chan?" Kasumi fussed over her. 

The female Saiya-jiin rolled her eyes and moved closer to   
Tobuma and Trunks. "Well, we wanted to introduce our guests.   
Haven't you been wondering who they are?" 

Nodoka nodded, eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Hai, we were,   
Akane, but we figured you would tell us at your own pace. Although,   
it is best manners to introduce them immediately." 

Akane looked sheepish. "Gomen, Obaasan, but they are part   
of the surprise." 

Nodoka stepped forward. "Kon'nichi wa, watashi wa Saotome   
Nodoka, desu." She bowed slightly and stood. But before the   
others could introduce themselves, Nodoka got a real good look at   
the pair of unknown guests. She raised an eyebrow when she   
noticed the furry belts. "Who are they, Akane-chan? I thought you   
said there were no more Saiya-jiin." She pointed to their tails and   
got a shrug for an answer. She peered into their faces, recognition   
lighting her eyes. After she did a complete circle around the   
unknown visitors, she turned to Tobuma. "You look almost identical   
to Ranma-chan, only with Akane-chan's eyes." She moved to Trunks.   
"And you are an exact duplicate of Vejiita-san, only with Bulma-san's   
coloring." 

Both Tobuma and Trunks blushed under Nodoka's intense   
scrutiny. Akane stepped closer to Nodoka and nodded. "Well, why   
don't you introduce yourselves, boys?" 

Tobuma smiled. "Hai, Okaasan." 

A thump was heard. Soun fainted. Tobuma just shook his   
head. He bowed deep. "Saotome Tobuma, desu." 

Trunks swept low, as well. "Shichi no Vejiita, desu. But   
please, call me Trunks." He stood and gave Kasumi a wink. 

Nodoka blinked a few times, surprise written across her   
features. She looked at each of the couples: Vejiita and Bulma;   
Ranma and Akane; Tobuma and Trunks. Her mouth opened and   
closed several times, but no sound was audible. 

Kasumi summed it all up with two words: "Oh, my." 

Akane nodded and started to explain a quirky smile curling at   
her cheeks. "Tobuma-chan is mine and Ranma's child, and Trunks-kun   
is Vejiita-chan and Bulma-chan's child." She paused slightly for   
effect. "They're from the future. They traveled back twenty years   
to help us in the war to defeat the Hachi." 

"So they're actually not born, yet?" Nodoka questioned. 

"Right, but both Bulma-chan and I are carrying them now."   
Akane grinned at the embarrassed looks of the two future   
Saiya-jiin. 

Genma walked up to Tobuma, his future grandson, making sure   
he gave Vejiita a wide berth. He gave Tobuma a good stare-down,   
and shook his head at the Saiya-jiin's tri-colored hair. "From the   
future, ne?" 

"Hai, Ojjisan. We came back in time to help defeat the   
Hachi, who have taken over our world. We are the only ones left."   
Tobuma explained quietly. 

"Hachi?" 

"They're the new enemy that's about to take this planet as   
theirs, and create a new Hive. They succeeded in the future.   
We're here to help stop them from doing so." He glanced at Trunks.   
"Hopefully, if they are defeated in the past, they will never have   
existed in the future." 

"We've already fought and defeated a fleet of them, plus   
countless Human Drones they already had assimilated." Ranma   
added. 

Nodoka was about to ask another question, but was   
interrupted by Vejiita's shout. "What in the hell is that?" 

Bulma gave him a strange look. "What are you talking about?" 

"Quiet, Onna. I feel something." 

The other four Saiya-jiin paused and closed their eyes, trying   
to sense what Vejiita felt. 

Ranma and Akane threw each other a glance. "I've felt it   
before, but not in awhile." Ranma scowled slightly. "I can't   
remember where I felt it." 

Akane nodded, and frowned. "It feels evil, but..." 

Tobuma and Trunks both gasped. "We've felt it before, as   
well!" Trunks gave Ranma a look and flared his aura, Tobuma doing   
the same. "Ojisan, he's still around?" 

Everyone, stared as the two future Saiya-jiin immediately   
went into battle mode. Both had their aura bright, and drew their   
respective blades: Trunks carrying Te'ketii, and Tobuma drawing   
the Saotome katana. Nodoka blinked a few times as she recognized   
the blade as the same she carried on her back. 

The three other Saiya-jiin powered up in response to the   
other two: Ranma and Akane going back to back; Vejiita situating   
himself in front of Bulma; Tobuma and Trunks guarding Kasumi and   
Nodoka. 

Everyone watched their surrounding with a warrior's eye--not   
wanting to miss what was headed in their direction. Ranma growled.   
"What did you mean, Trunks, when you said, 'He's still around?'" 

Trunks darted a look to his uncle. "This is evil, Ojisan. You've   
dealt with him before." 

He furrowed his eyebrows and concentrated on the unknown   
aura headed in their direction. "I have?" All of a sudden his eyes   
shot open. "I know who this is!" Ranma's defensive posture relaxed   
slightly. "It's the old freak!" 

Akane groaned and relaxed as well. "I thought we'd seen the   
last of him. Kasumi said he'd been gone for quite some time." 

Vejiita stared at them and growled. "Who in the hell are you   
talking about? Who is this 'old freak?'" 

"Happosai," Akane explained, as she dropped her defensive   
stance completely and leaned up against her mate, "is our father's   
sensei, and the Founding Master of the 'Musabetsu Kabuto.'" Akane   
wrinkled her nose. "And also the local hentai. He gets his jollies   
from groping girls and stealing their underwear." 

Bulma sighed disgustedly. "Another Kamesennin, hmm?" 

Akane shook her head. "Iie, actually, he's more dangerous   
because he recharges his ki from the perverse acts." She glanced   
at Ranma, who had a rather grim line set on his mouth. "Ranma's girl   
side is his favorite battery. Happosai gave him quite a run for his   
money many a day." 

Vejiita snorted. "Che, anyone could have given Serori a 'run   
for his money' before I started to train him." 

Suddenly, Ranma whirled around and his hand flashed out.   
"Hey there, old freak! Long time, no see!" 

In Ranma's tight grip hung a small, wrinkled male, wearing a   
maroon dogi and a black scarf over his balding head, leaving exposed   
too-wide eyes. In his withered hands, he held a large bag literally   
overflowing with various articles of feminine garments of every   
color of the rainbow. 

Happosai, unfazed by his capture grinned wide at his   
'assailant.' "Ranma! How I missed you so! How about you try on one   
of my silky darlings for old times' sake!" He held out a lacy black   
bra. 

Ranma snorted and plucked the ill-gained bounty from his   
hands. "Not today, ya freak!" He flung the shriveled man toward   
the pond and the bag of pilfered pretties to the porch. 

Happosai easily bounced to the ground. "Have you gotten   
stronger, boy?" He gave him an appraising eye. "Well, no matter. If   
you won't try one on, then let me seek comfort in your bosom!" He   
pulled out a kettle from behind him and threw it in Ranma's   
direction, and followed in the cold water's path to fall into his   
'embrace.' 

The aqua-transexual easily leaped out of the way, and   
hovered in mid-air. "I don't think so, hentai." 

The perverted martial arts master stood on Genma-panda's   
head and stared at Ranma. "Looks like you learned a few new tricks,   
my boy. I didn't release you from my tutelage, Ranma." 

A bright glow flared around the floating Saiya-jiin. "I was   
never your student, ya pervert. Why don't I show ya some of my   
new tricks?" He gathered some ki in his hands. "This one I learned   
from my real sensei--Gallic Gun!" He launched the small ki balls at   
the even smaller male. 

Happosai laughed as he darted around the multiple ki   
technique. "Not bad, not bad, Ranma my boy! Have a sample of one   
of my new tricks!" He held up several of his firecrackers, and threw   
them at the awaiting Ranma. "Bakudan no Mizu!" 

The Saiya-jiin caught the bomb and stared at it. "Your   
bombs don't scare me anymore, old man!" He tossed it up into the   
air, not caring where it landed. 

Akane frowned. "Bakudan no Mizu? Bomb of water?" Her   
head shot up. "Ranma! It's a water bomb! He's gonna..." She sighed,   
as the water cascaded over him. "Get you wet." 

Ranma growled and detached the horny man from his wet,   
female chest with his tail. He watched disgustedly as Happi   
scrambled to reach for him. "I told ya, old freak! Get off me!" 

Vejiita frowned as he watched the light spar his student was   
going through. He turned to Akane. "Why doesn't Serori just kill   
him? He seems like an annoying pest." 

"He won't, because Happosai isn't that bad of a man. He may   
be a pervert, but he always challenged Ranma to get better. He's   
the reason why Ranma had to learn the Hiryuu Shoten Ha." Akane   
shrugged her shoulders, watching the scene in front of them. She   
gave Tobuma a glance. "You two have met him, Tobuma-chan,   
Trunks-kun?" 

The tri-colored senshi nodded, screwing his face up. "Hai, we   
have. They're not very pleasant memories, but yeah. He's a hentai,   
but a rather resourceful hentai." He shrugged his shoulders. "I   
think the Hachi caught him off-guard in a bathing house. We were   
about eight or so." 

Happi stopped struggling, finally realizing how he was being   
held. "Have you visited Jusenkyo, Ranma?" 

"Iie. Why do you ask that?" 

He pointed to the tail. "You have new a appendage. I thought   
you added another curse, like Pantyhose." 

"Eew! That's a nasty thought." Ranma tossed him down on   
the ground. "It's not a new curse, old freak. It's mine. I've always   
had it, or supposed to." 

"Nani?" Happi brushed off his pants and glanced around him   
and noticed the new faces for the first time. "You must introduce   
your guests to me, Ranma. It's not polite to leave your sensei in the   
dark about new secret training." 

Ranma blinked a few times. "Ya haven't been around lately,   
have ya? Me an' Akane haven't been in Nerima for over a month." 

Happi glanced around and noticed the female Saiya-jiin.   
"Hotcha! Akane-chan! Let me greet you properly, then!" He   
launched himself into the air, his arms spread wide and his eyes   
glittering. 

But was stopped by a brick wall of ki. He bounced off the   
shield that was exerted by the three brightly-glowing Super   
Saiya-jiin. Vejiita, Trunks, and Tobuma stood in front of Akane,   
identical aquamarine eyes glaring hatefully at the diminutive male. 

"No one touches the Saiya-jiin no Oujo in such a disgusting   
manner!" Vejiita roared. 

The GrandMaster of the Indiscriminate Grappling School of   
Martial Arts stared at the three males with awe evident on his face.   
"Such power! How can humans hold such control over their ki?" 

Kasumi knelt next to him and explained. "Happosai-ojjisan,   
you weren't here when Ranma and Akane discovered they aren't   
Human. They're Saiya-jiin." 

"Saiya-jiin?" Happosai questioned. His eyebrows knitted   
together as he tried to remember where he heard that word before. 

"About a month ago, Ranma-kun and Akane-chan woke up to   
find they had grown tails." She pointed to the furry objects around   
each of the Super Saiya-jiin's waists. "They're from outer-space,   
Ojji-san." 

He nodded and backed up a couple steps, running into Ranma's   
legs. "I see." He glanced up into Ranma's frown. "You don't happen   
to be the same as a Son Goku, are you?" 

Vejiita let out a growl. "What do you know of Kakarotto?" 

At that moment, Goku materialized next to Kasumi, ChiChi   
and Gohan in tow. "Konban wa, minna-san!" 

"Well, speak of the devil," Ranma smirked. "Hey, Goku-san!" 

Happosai widened his eyes. "Goku-san?" 

The male in question waved to Ranma. "Hey, Serori-kun,   
minna! Is it time to eat yet? I'm starved!" He glanced around him.   
"What's gotten everyone so upset? Why are you Super Saiya-jiin?   
Are the Hachi attacking somewhere?" 

Tobuma shook his head solemnly. "Iie, Goku-san.   
This...man...tried to attack Okaasan." 

A rare frown crossed Goku's normally jovial features. He   
stared at Happosai hard. "Don't you know you should never attack   
the Saiya-jiin no Oujo? Especially with Vejiita around. He's very   
protective of his oneechan." A feral snarl came from the male in   
question. 

Happi smiled sickly and eyed the five males warily. "Now, who   
said I wanted to attack Akane-chan? I haven't seen her in a long   
time, and I just wanted to give her a hug!" His eyes teared up,   
making him look vulnerable. 

Bulma barked out a laugh. "Don't believe a word he says,   
Son-kun. Serori and Seiika-chan say that he's a hundred times   
worse than Muten Roshi." Goku scowled. He was well aware of the   
Turtle Master's habits around females. He stood in front of ChiChi   
protectively. 

Meanwhile, behind the wall of testosterone, Akane was   
getting crabby. She was getting tired of the machismo display. She   
elbowed her way out, going between Tobuma and Vejiita, scowling.   
"Turn off the ki, guys. I can take care of myself." 

"Okaasan..." 

"Obaasan..." 

"Seiika..." 

"Hima-chan..." All four males protested loudly. 

Akane silenced them all with a glare. "I can take care of   
myself!" She turned to Goku, the scowl melting away as she   
composed herself. "Konban wa, Goku-san, ChiChi-san, Gohan-kun.   
How are you all doing?" 

ChiChi pushed her way around her husband and mate and   
scowled at the perverted little man. "We're all fine, Seiika-chan.   
And you? How's the baby?" 

She gave the older female a gentle smile. "We're both fine.   
The doctor said that everything is progressing normal, for a   
Saiya-jiin, that is." ChiChi nodded and smiled back. 

Akane then glanced down at Happosai, who was inching closer   
and closer to her. She stuck her foot out, pushing it into his face.   
"And what have we learned today, Ojjisan?" 

He backed away from Akane and glanced at the others that   
stood off to the side. "Well, Akane-chan, I learned that..." he   
jumped into the air, "that you need a hug!" 

Akane held out her hand when the men started to move to   
protect her. "I said I'll take care of it!" she growled. When he got   
close enough, she powered up, flaring into Super Saiya-jiin. Her   
aquamarine eyes bored holes into the shrunken martial arts master   
that, all of a sudden, had no desire to give the female Saiya-jiin a   
'hug.' She held him by the collar of his dogi and glared at him. 

"Akane-chan, you wouldn't do anything to a hapless old man,   
would you?" He glittered his eyes, giving her puppy-dog eyes. 

She shook her head, smirking evilly. "I won't do anything to a   
hapless old man, Ojjisan." Happi let out a sigh and smiled. "But you   
aren't hapless, Happosai." She pulled out Ke'petik and sent Happi on   
a long vacation via Akane Air. 

She sighed and held her friend over her shoulder. "Well, we   
won't see him for awhile." Akane gave Ke'petik a soothing buff and   
put him back in her pocket. 

Goku stared at the smoke trail that Happosai left behind.   
"Seiika-chan, who was that? He reminded me of Muten Roshi." 

"That was Happosai, the founder of the Musebatsu   
Kasabuto," Akane sighed as she leaned onto Ranma, wrapping her tail   
around his leg. "And also the most perverted person on this entire   
planet, I believe. He can be okay sometimes, if he can keep his mind   
out of the gutter." Ranma just snorted. 

"I think I heard Kamesennin mention a Happosai once or   
twice," Goku noted, turning toward Akane. 

She nodded. "Then that's where he more than likely heard of   
you, and Saiya-jiin." 

Akane's stomach rumbled, announcing its need. A four-part   
chorus answered her back. Kasumi giggled. "I guess that means it's   
time to start supper!" 

Ranma grinned and rubbed his noisemaker. "Actually,   
Kasumi-san, have you seen Ucchan around lately? I could go for   
some okynomiyaki." 

Nodoka nodded, and turned toward the house. "She is still in   
town, Ranma. Did you want to order take-out?" 

He nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good." Nodoka retreated   
inside to call. "Anyone else hungry for take-out?" 

"The Nekohanten is still open, Ranma-kun." Kasumi suggested.   
"What about ramen?" 

The mated pair gave each other a glance. "Is that a good   
idea, Kasumi-chan?" Akane asked warily. "We really didn't want to   
let them know we were back in town." 

She chided them gently. "Do you really want to alienate   
them?" 

Akane was about to answer, but Tobuma interrupted her.   
"Actually, Okaasan, Cologne-san should learn about the Hachi   
attacks. She will have to let her village know, so they can prepare   
themselves." 

She scowled but nodded. "I guess. We can order from there.   
But if Shampoo starts getting fresh, she's going to pay." 

Ranma wrapped his arms around her, giving her a hug from   
behind. "She and Cologne were supposed to have given up their claim   
on me. But you're more than welcome to kick her ass if she gropes   
me." 

Akane snorted but gave him a smile. "All right, if you insist..." 

Soun whined, a fallen expression written across his face.   
"But what about all the food Saotome and I got from the market?" 

"Well, we can see what we have, and prepare some side   
dishes. How about that, Otousan?" Kasumi reasoned. 

He nodded, agreeing with her idea. "That sounds like a plan,   
Kasumi-chan. So, how about a little game, Saotome?" He patted his   
friend on the back. "And since the Master seems to be gone for a   
while longer, we can safely raid his secret stash of sake." 

Genma-panda held up a sign. Sounds good, Tendo. The two   
went inside, and Kasumi followed to order the ramen. 

"When will everything be prepared, Seiika?" Vejiita asked, an   
impatient look on his face. 

She shrugged. "I don't know. Ukyou-chan will probably make   
the okynomiyaki as we go along, and the ramen will be here...well,   
when it's done. Why?" 

He nodded and grabbed Trunks by the tail, eliciting a squeal   
of surprise from the purple-haired senshi. "Then we have time to   
train. Come, brat." 

Bulma crossed her arms and scowled. "Vejiita, must you train   
every second you're not eating or sleeping? We have a custom on   
Chikyuu called resting? Maybe you've heard of it?" She had her   
fists on her hips, glaring into his ebony eyes. 

The male just shrugged. "I have no need for socializing. You   
are more than aware of that fact, Onna." He walked away, Trunks   
still being dragged by his tail. 

Bulma grunted. "And do I ever." She glanced at the other   
male Saiya-jiin. "Well? Who else has 'no need for socializing?'" 

All of the other Saiya-jiin males raised their hands, except   
for Ranma, who tried to raise his but Akane held onto his hands   
tight. 

Bulma sighed exasperatedly and fell to the porch, hands on   
her head. "I give up. I utterly and completely give up. It's no use   
trying to create proper manners in a Saiya-jiin while training.   
There's no use getting through to them in that state of mind." 

ChiChi grunted and walked by Bulma, heading inside the house.   
"I learned that a long time ago, Bulma-chan. A long time ago." 

In the yard the boys, and Akane, watched Tobuma and Trunks   
spar with each other. As the two cousins exchanged blows at a   
dizzying pace, Vejiita broke away from the group, glancing around   
the area with a wary eye. Akane noted her brother's behavior and   
moved closer to him. 

"Daijoubou, Vejiita-chan?" 

He barely glanced at her. "Iie, Seiika-chan. Something is   
wrong." 

She placed a hand on his arm. "What does it feel like? Do   
you recognize it?" Her eyes brightened slightly. "Maybe it's still   
residue from Happosai?" 

He shook his head. "Iie. This is different from the prune.   
If I knew what it was, then I could identify it." 

Akane rolled her eyes and turned back to the sparring match.   
Vejiita wandered farther away, trying to focus on the feeling. 

He held out a hand and blocked an errant ki ball from hitting   
the house, still focused on scanning the area. He abruptly turned to   
the fight and spoke. "Spawn of Kakarotto." 

Both Goku and Gohan, who were watching the cousins battle   
each other, turned to the Dark Prince. "Nani, Vejiita-san?" Gohan   
asked. 

"Where is the Nameksei-jiin?" 

Gohan shook his head. "I haven't seen Piccolo-san for a   
couple days, Vejiita-san. Last time I saw him he was over his pond."   
He glanced at the older male curiously. "Why did you want to know?" 

"None of your business, brat," he snapped back. 

Goku studied his sparring partner and fellow sensei. He could   
see and feel the tension rolling off of him. "Oi, Vejiita, what's up?" 

The Saiya-jiin no Ouji just snorted. "Nothing to concern your   
pea-sized brain with, Kakarotto." 

"Ah, Vejiita," Goku moved over to the shorter male and put a   
hand on his shoulder. "I can tell something's bothering you. Do you   
feel something? You're awfully tense." 

Vejiita sharply pulled his body away from the taller male,   
scowling darkly. "The air is at unrest. That's all. Now leave me   
alone unless you want the snot beat out of you." 

The jovial Saiya-jiin smiled and shook his head. "Not now,   
maybe later? ChiChi said we couldn't get dirty before supper." He   
shrugged his shoulders helplessly. 

Vejiita snorted and turned away, to face the horizon.   
That...feeling...just wouldn't leave him alone. What was it? It wasn't   
that hentai from earlier...but this is what he felt when he arrived.   
It was just masked by the nearness of the freak. Whatever it was   
it wasn't close--but it was strong. 

Very strong.   



	22. Dinner Time Conversations

A Tail To Remember   
by Gie: phowahcs.com   


A Tail To Remember   
Chapter Twenty One: Dinner Time Conversations 

A few minutes later, everyone had their attention averted   
when a female figure came bounding into the yard, a large spatula   
strapped to her back and an even larger bag in her hands. She was   
greeted enthusiastically by Ranma. 

"Ucchan!" 

Ukyou smiled wide and after dropping he cargo, threw her   
arms around her ex-fiancee. "Ran-chan! It's so good to see you!"   
She released him and turned to the female next to him. "Hey,   
Akane-chan. It's good to see you, too." 

The two female exchanged hugs. "Konban wa, Ukyou-chan.   
I've missed you too." She glanced up and smiled. "There's some   
people I want you to meet." She called out to the airborne   
Saiya-jiin. "Trunks-kun, Tobuma-chan, stop sparring for a minute   
please." Ukyou jumped slightly. She did not notice the two fighting   
males that were floating in the air when she arrived. 

The two cousins cut their spar short and levitated to the   
ground, turning their attention to the female that called them.   
"Nani, Okaasan?" Tobuma questioned. 

"I want to introduce you two to a friend of ours." 

Ukyou blinked loudly. "Okaasan?" She turned to Ranma, who   
had an amused smile floating at the corner of his mouth as he   
watched the two males come closer. "Did that guy say 'Okaasan' to   
Akane?" 

Ranma nodded, tilting his head slightly. "Hai, he did say,   
'Okaasan,' Ucchan." His smile got bigger. 

The two spar-scuffed males approached the small group.   
"Ukyou, this is Trunks," the purple-haired male bowed slightly, "and   
this is Tobuma," the tri-colored male bowed as well. "Boys, this is   
Kuonji Ukyou, one of Ranma's ex-fiancées, and the best okynomiyaki   
chef, ever." 

"Konban wa, Kuonji-san." Both Trunks and Tobuma responded   
in unison. 

Ukyou blinked a few more times, staring at Tobuma intensely.   
She shook her head, clearing it, and bowed back, her gaze not   
wavering from tri-colored senshi. "Did you call Akane-chan,   
'Okaasan?'" Ukyou glanced between Akane and Tobuma a few times,   
a confused look on her pretty face. 

Akane nodded slightly and Tobuma replied with a smile   
identical to his father's. "Hai, Kuonji-san. Seiika is my mother." 

Now Ukyou was confused even more. "Seiika? I was talking   
about Akane." 

"That's my real name, Ukyou, remember?" Akane reminded   
her. "Just like Ranma's is Serori." 

"So do you want to be called Serori and Seiika now?" The   
chef frowned, realizing for the first time in a month that the two   
people that she knew as Ranma and Akane are not the same people   
any longer. 

"It doesn't matter, Ucchan," Ranma grinned. "We'll answer to   
both." 

Ukyou absently nodded, still staring at Tobuma. "But how?"   
She nodded her head at the young senshi. "He looks about the same   
age as us." 

"He is," Akane smiled, gazing at Tobuma with a fond smile.   
"Well, they both are." She modified her statement when Trunks   
cleared his throat. She rolled her eyes and winked at the   
purple-haired senshi. "Why don't you two go get cleaned up. I think   
you sparring spot has been taken over." 

Everyone turned to see that Vejiita and Goku had begun to   
spar lightly in the same spot the two cousins had abandoned. "But I   
thought Goku-san wasn't supposed to spar," Tobuma smirked. 

"Well, when hasn't Goku-san refused a spar for too long?"   
Ranma shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "He's Saiya-jiin--he   
can't sit still for too long." Akane nodded in agreement. 

Trunks and Tobuma started toward the house. "Is the furo   
open?" Trunks called out. 

Akane nodded. "It should be. And knowing Kasumi-neechan,   
it's full, as well." They nodded back and went inside. Akane turned   
back to the two left in the yard and was startled by the unreadable   
expression on Ukyou's face. "Is something wrong, Ukyou?" 

The chef furrowed her eyebrows and thrust clenched fists   
on her hips. "Explain. How could you cheat on Ranchan like that?   
And how is it possible? I thought you were 'bonded' or something   
weird like that?" 

Akane smirked, and leaned against the still figure of her   
mate. She was rewarded with a tail curling around her waist. "We   
are, Ukyou. And who said I cheated? Tobuma-chan is my child, hai,   
but he is Ranma's, as well. Didn't you notice that Tobuma looks   
almost exactly like Ranma?" 

Before Ukyou could say another word, their attention was   
drawn to the bounding figures of Cologne and Shampoo, who had just   
entered the yard. 

The two Amazons stopped in front of the small group.   
Cologne gave the mated pair a glance and nodded. "Konban wa,   
Ranma, Akane." Her gaze flicked to Ukyou. "Ukyou." 

All three nodded back. "Hey, Cologne," Ranma greeted. He   
turned to the other newcomer. "Hey, Shampoo. It's nice to see ya." 

The Amazon threw her arms around the Saiya-jiin male and   
treated him to a super-size glomp. "Ranma! So good to see you!   
Take Shampoo on date, yes?" 

Ranma let out a grunt and struggled to release himself from   
her iron grip. "Leggo, Shampoo..." 

Akane growled deep in her throat, letting her aura manifest.   
"Now, Shampoo!" 

The purple-tressed Amazon let go and backed up a few paces.   
"Shampoo know Ranma Airen no more. Do for old time sake. Joke,   
right?" She smiled slightly. 

Akane snorted and dissipated her aura. Ranma and Ukyou   
chuckled weakly. 

Cologne shook her head at the boldness of her heir. "You   
called for take-out, Ranma?" She indicated to the large stack of   
boxes both carried. 

He nodded, glancing at the amount. "Yup. Is that all we   
ordered?" 

"Iie, Mousse will be coming with the second half." Ranma   
made a face. "It was impossible to make such a large order all at   
one time, Ranma," Cologne chided the young male. "He is making the   
second batch and will bring it over when it is ready." 

Akane jabbed him in the ribs. "Hush, baka." She turned back   
to Cologne. "You can take it into the kitchen, Cologne-san. Kasumi   
will show you where." The old Amazon nodded and indicated to   
Shampoo. They turned toward the house, but both were stopped by   
a large wall of Saiya-jiin muscle. 

"Is that Ramen?" Goku slobbered, eyeing the stacks of   
take-out. 

Cologne nodded with a smile, glancing up and down at the male   
in front of her. "Hai, it is." 

Akane pushed Goku away. Or at least tried. "Later,   
Goku-san. That's for supper." 

"Can't I at least have a taste, Seiika-chan?" the hungry male   
whined. "ChiChi wouldn't let me have a snack earlier." 

She rolled her eyes and watched as Cologne and Shampoo   
went inside. "Later, Goku." 

He sighed as the door closed on the tempting aromas. "Isn't   
that the same girl you fought the day we did the Oozaru training,   
Seiika-chan?" 

Akane nodded. "Hai. They're Chinese Amazons. They also   
own a local Ramen shop in town. Shampoo was one of Ranma's   
fiancées." 

Goku nodded. He turned his attention to Ukyou. "I   
remember you from that day, as well." 

"I was there. Didn't do much, but I was there." Ukyou   
smiled. "Kuonji Ukyou." 

"You're one of Serori-kun's fiancées, too." Goku's eyes   
widened dramatically when he saw the large battle spatula on the   
girl's back. "You're Ucchan, right? You make okynomiyaki, right?" 

Ukyou smirked slightly. "I see my reputation precedes me." 

Within a blink of an eye, Goku had swept Ukyou and her large   
bag of supplies in his arms and was hurrying toward the house. "You   
need to get started! I'm really hungry! You make pork, right? How   
about beef? And what about..." Goku's voice trailed off as they   
disappeared inside. 

Ranma and Akane blinked at each other a few times. 

Tobuma exited the house soon after. "Was that Kuonji-san   
Goku-san was carrying?" 

Akane nodded slowly. "Hai, Goku was hungry." Several   
stomachs echoed that thought. "And it seems that we are, as well." 

She glanced into the sky, where Vejiita still hung in the air.   
"Hungry, Vejiita-chan?" Her face scrunched up when she received n   
answer. She turned to Ranma and Tobuma, indicating for them to go   
inside. Ranma glanced at her in concern, but she just waved him off.   
He nodded slowly and followed Tobuma inside. 

The female Saiya-jiin floated up to where her twin sat. He   
had his eyes closed, and his legs crossed in a meditative posture. He   
rotated slowly in a circle. She stared at him for a minute, then got   
into the same position, going back-to-back to the silent Prince. She   
wrapped her tail around his narrow waist and began to meditate   
silently as well. 

The set of twins sat there, silent, for several minutes.   
Finally, Vejiita broke their silence. "You're not going to leave me   
alone until I tell you what's bothering me, are you?" 

Akane tightened the grip of her tail around his waist, and   
received his around hers in response. "Iie." 

They sat in silence once again. 

"The air feels off." 

Akane opened her eyes, startled by his statement. "What do   
you mean by that, Vejiita-chan?" 

He unraveled his tail and turned around. She did the same.   
"Something feels wrong, but I don't know what it is. It keeps   
fuzzing at the edge of my senses." 

If something bothered her twin this dramatically, it couldn't   
be good. Akane frowned deeply as an idea popped into her head.   
"Do you think the Hachi have started up again?" The thought of   
them sent a shiver down her spine that extended to the tip of her   
tail. 

He raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "I don't know." He   
floated to the ground, Akane following suit. 

"Do you think we should send out a scouting party?" Akane   
glanced at the house, quickly dividing up the senshi present to   
create several patrols. 

Vejiita just shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe." A loud growl   
settled the matter. "After dinner, perhaps." 

She nodded, smiling slightly. "After dinner." She turned   
toward the house and started to go in, but stopped when she   
realized her twin was not following her. He was still scanning the   
horizon. "Come on, Ototochan," she grinned when a scowl was   
tossed her way. "Goku's inside. There might not be any food left." 

He nodded and turned toward the house, following her inside.   
He paused on the doorstep, and with one last glance to the horizon,   
walked inside and closed the door. 

But he left too early. For when the door closed on the   
outside world, a hazy green flash clashed against the baby blue sky. 

Chikyuu, Location Unknown, Early Afternoon 

The slight winds rustled through the thick foliage, creating   
small patterns of light and shadow as they blew in a random fashion.   
But the natural beauty went unnoticed by Chikyuu's new arrivals as   
they bustled around the large grey spaceship. A group of several   
Scout Drones made their way through the underbrush, creating a   
silent line of defense against any unauthorized, and unsuspected,   
hostile attack. 

Several clusters of Warrior Drones were being given specific   
assignments, and then launched to their respective areas of attack. 

The leader of this front was within the fairly-large ship,   
giving his leader an update on their progress. 

Daisy stood next to his chair, facing the large view screen.   
"Yes, Captain. Everything is going fine so far. We touched down   
without notice and I have started to deploy several Warrior parties   
to begin mass assimilation." 

Iris nodded on the screen, Rose next to him. "Good work,   
Daisy. We're still a couple months away from your position." 

"Are there any signs of the Saiya-jiin?" Rose asked   
pointedly. 

Daisy shook his head, the six antennae waving back and forth.   
"No, Commander. No sign as of yet." 

Iris glanced at his first officer and then turned back to the   
screen. "Continue as planned, Daisy." 

He nodded. "Right, Captain. I do have a question, though." 

"What is it, Daisy?" 

"Do you want me to send a special search party to start   
looking for the Queen?" 

Iris frowned slightly. "No, not yet. If you would come across   
her, capture her, but don't waste any available warriors or scouts   
for such. Right now, the main focus is taking the planet and   
assimilating as many inhabitants as possible." 

"Aye, Captain." 

"Make sure your troops have all the necessary information on   
her, and the other Saiya-jiin. You're more than likely going to come   
across them somewhere along the line." 

Daisy nodded. "I understand, Captain." 

"Don't underestimate the Saiya-jiin, Daisy," Rose warned.   
"They are formidable enemies, and will use every dirty trick in the   
book to stop our mission from happening." 

Iris continued. "Keep in contact, Daisy. Tokemonu out." The   
screen went blank. 

Daisy sighed and sat in his chair. "I really did not need Rose   
warning me about the Saiya-jiin." He pushed a few buttons and a   
3-dimensional picture of Chikyuu rotated slowly. "Computer, light   
the site where the first Scouting party landed." A cluster of four   
red dots blinked on the screen. 

"Highlight our location." A large yellow dot blipped onto the   
screen, almost halfway around the world. 

"Computer, where are the first five Warrior parties   
headed?" 

Five green blips lit on the picture, each heading off in a   
different direction, moving towards large populated areas. One   
seemed to be headed in the same direction of the four stationary   
red dots. Iris nodded to himself. One party would be in the vicinity   
of the last reported sighting of the Saiya-jiin Royalty. Hopefully, he   
would get some information, or something that would be useful to   
their cause. The addition of new Drones would be a bonus, as well.   
Daisy stood up and walked off his bridge and headed outside, where   
three more parties of Warrior Drones awaited their assignments. 

The first Swarm had arrived. 

Supper went about at a rather fast clip, with Ukyou working   
up a thick sweat trying to keep up with the voracious appetites of   
Seven Saiya-jiin. Goku was never far from the kitchen, and Ukyou's   
side, and Gohan had lost count after the first couple dozen   
okynomiyaki he consumed. 

The second round of ramen arrived with some commotion   
when Mousse, the bearer of the food, arrived and spotted Shampoo   
and Ranma sitting side by side, talking rather amicably with each   
other. 

The blind martial artist growled loudly. "Ranma, how dare you   
try to move in on my Shampoo, while I stand in the room? Have you   
no shame? Prepare to die, Saotome!" With a yell, Mousse launched   
himself on the hapless Ranma. 

Or who he thought was Ranma. Who in fact actually   
happened to be Tobuma. 

But the tri-colored Saotome was prepared. He merely stuck   
a foot out, booting the blind male in the face, and effectively   
stopping him. "I'm not Ranma, Mousse-san. He's over there." 

Mousse recovered quickly and glomped onto Shampoo. "Oh,   
Shampoo, let me take you away from the cretin Saotome! I am the   
only one that deserves your love and attention." Mousse paused   
slightly in his glomp, and peered into Shampoo's face. "What   
happened to your lovely chest, Shampoo?" 

Alas, Mousse was wrong once again. And this time, Trunks   
suffered the consequences. An evil scowl of disgust flashed across   
the purple-haired senshi's face, making him look even more similar to   
his father. "GET OFF ME, YA HENTAI!" 

Tobuma scowled and literally pulled Mousse off the fuming   
Trunks. "That's not Shampoo-san, Mousse-san. Please put on your   
glasses and take inventory of the room." 

The male Amazon did so. And bowed deeply in front of   
Trunks. "Gomen nasai." He turned toward the real Shampoo, who   
was on the opposite side of the room. "There you are, my darling!   
Forgive me for misinterpreting that skinny male for your loveliness!"   
He ran toward her, arms outstretched, his face alit with love for   
the beautiful female. 

But was sent to the ground by a well-placed bonbori. "Stupid   
Mousse. Can't Mousse see Shampoo eating? Be quiet." 

"Whatever you say, my darling..." and dinner continued on. 

After dessert was served; the rest of the cookies Nodoka   
brought over and several cakes that Kasumi whipped up while waiting   
for the ordered food to arrive, and after the table cleared away,   
and digestion settled in for a strenuous workout, Akane cleared her   
throat, getting everyone's attention. She smiled at her family and   
the acquaintances she made while in Nerima. "I just wanted to alert   
you all on the threat that we're facing." Many of the faces became   
solemn, listening to Akane's heavy words. 

She explained the Hachi to the Nerimians; what they were,   
and what they came to Chikyuu to accomplish. Everyone that didn't   
know was rather shocked. 

"Assimilate the planet?" Ukyou muttered, frowning deeply. 

"Drones?" Nodoka whispered, alarmed. 

"After you, Akane-chan?" Kasumi had a worried look on her   
face. 

Tobuma's features mirrored his aunt's. "Hai. And in the   
future, they get her." 

"That's why we came back. To protect Chikyuu against the   
Hachi threat, and to build a better future than the one we   
experienced." Trunks added, a somber look of determination on his   
chiseled features. 

Cologne frowned. "You can not change the past, young senshi.   
History is immutable." Her wizened features were solemn. "When   
the two of you came to this time, your actions created an alternate   
future. The life you know as your own may not happen in this world.   
Your actions may have caused that to change." 

"But they still happened in your time. Your universe. Nothing   
can be done to change that." 

Tobuma's face fell at the ramifications. "Then we are here   
for nothing." He knew something was wrong about their reasoning... 

Bulma frowned, her mind whirling. "Iie, not for nothing.   
What you have done is given our world, this timeline, a chance on not   
falling to the Hachi." She glanced at Vejiita, who was silently taking   
in the information. "You have given us a chance to live in peace, once   
the Hachi are defeated." She turned to Trunks and gave him a warm   
smile. "Domo arigatou gozaimasu, senshi." He nodded in reply. 

After a moment of silence, he spoke. "Cologne-san, you will   
have to inform your tribe and have them ready their defenses, in   
case the Hachi attack. When they arrive, they will be everywhere,   
not just Japan." 

"What about the other countries, the United States, and   
such? How will they defend themselves?" Gohan asked. "Should we   
tell the leaders of the nations to prepare for the Hachi attacks as   
well?" 

The Z Senshi were used to fighting megalomaniacs--but only   
on a local, and centralized, level. This was an enemy that could   
attack several places around the world at one time. Even if every   
single warrior were able to fight, there would still be someplace left   
unprotected. The assembled group was silent once more. 

"Iie." Everyone turned their attention to Vejiita, who had   
spoken. "Do not inform the governing bodies. They would not be   
able to do anything. There is no need for mass panic." 

Soun nodded in agreement. "He's right. The governments   
would just send out the armies, which in turn, would be assimilated.   
Giveing the Hachi more senshi and us fewer Humans." Several   
grunted in agreement. 

"There has been news coverage already," ChiChi commented.   
"I've seen several news broadcasts about missing people, and   
sightings of big 'bug creatures.' There will be more as time goes on,   
as more people fall to the Hachi." 

Bulma snorted. "As if Western Capital hasn't had its share of   
weird occurrences. Hell, we have a talking dog for a mayor." 

"And Nerima has its own weird factor," Ukyou smirked.   
"Especially roof-hopping martial artists and people changing into   
girls, cats, ducks, or minotaurs right in front of their eyes." 

Gohan blinked. "Duck? Minotaur?" He turned to Ranma. "Do   
you have more than one form, Serori?" 

Ranma shook his head. "Iie, Gohan. Mousse is the duck,   
Shampoo is the c...c...cat," he swallowed hard and tried not to   
picture the image, "and this guy named Tarou is the minotaur-thing.   
Although, the last time we saw him he had some octopus tentacles   
and an assortment of other creatures for body parts." 

Gohan nodded, still slightly confused, but took his word for   
truth. 

Vejiita grunted, obviously impatient. "Are we going to patrol   
or not?" 

Akane nodded. "Hai. We should split into several teams.   
That way we'll cover more ground." 

"Woah! What's this 'we' business?" Ranma held up his hands,   
pausing her plans. "You're staying right here, Akane." 

"Iie, I'm going to patrol, Ranma! We need as many senshi out   
there as possible." Akane scowled darkly. "I hate being left out." 

He shook his head firmly. "Unless you want to use a tank,   
Akane..." The female in question growled deep in her throat. "All   
right, then." He tried to placate her. "Anyway, we need someone to   
stay behind, in case the Hachi end up here." Akane sighed and   
nodded in agreement. 

Ranma turned to the group. "Okay. How about this: Trunks,   
Goku, and Gohan. Tobuma, Shampoo, and Ukyou." He glanced at   
Mousse. "Do you have a blade on ya?" 

The male Amazon nodded. "I have several. Why?" 

"Cuz they're rather effective to use against the Drones. This   
way, each group will have someone with a sword." He turned to   
Vejiita. "You, me, and Mousse, then." Vejiita nodded in approval. 

"That is not all of the senshi, Ranma." Cologne spoke. 

"Well, I wasn't done yet, Cologne." Ranma sighed. "I figured   
you, Pops, and Tendo-san could stay in Nerima. You three are the   
least mobile of everyone." Cologne stared at Ranma for a minute and   
then nodded. 

He then turned to Trunks and Tobuma. "How well do you two   
know the area?" 

Trunks shrugged slightly. "Not bad. Tobu-kun knows it   
better, though." He nodded in agreement. 

"All right, that makes it a little easier. Tobuma, you and the   
girls take Tokyo as a whole. My group will go to the north and east,   
and Goku's group can go to the south and west. If you need help,   
flare your ki." He paused as he realized that everyone was staring   
at him. "Nani?" 

Akane blinked and smiled. "Nothing, Ranma." She leaned   
closer and nipped him on the ear. "You're absolutely sexy when you   
take charge." 

He blushed and cleared his throat. "Okay...well,   
um...hehe...okay! Let's head out then." He stood up quickly. 

Everyone followed suit, and moved toward the backyard, a   
good launching spot. Goku, Gohan and ChiChi were in a corner, saying   
their good-byes. Well, ChiChi wailing loudly, and Gohan and Goku   
were trying very hard to comfort her. 

Vejiita and Bulma were off to the side, talking quietly to each   
other. Bulma had Vejiita wrapped tightly in her arms, face buried in   
his shoulder, while Vejiita looked like he was trying in vain to get out   
of her grasp. 

The Humans were saying their own good-byes in another   
group; Kasumi fussing over Soun, and Nodoka handing Genma the   
Saotome katana. The Amazons and Ukyou were quietly talking with   
Tobuma and Trunks. 

Akane pulled Ranma to the side before he took off. She   
wrapped her arms around him and nipped at his nose. "Be careful,   
Ranma-chan. Vejiita has a very uneasy feeling about all of this. I   
really think they're out there." 

Ranma wrapped his arms around her tight, pulling her close.   
He nuzzled her ear affectionately. "Don't worry, Hima-chan.   
Vejiita-ouji is just blowing off steam from earlier with Pops.   
Everything's gonna be okay." 

Akane looked long and hard into the deep blue of her mate's   
eyes for several moments, and then nodded. "Hai. Come back to me   
alive." 

Ranma nodded back and leaned forward, resting his forehead   
against hers. "Of course. Nothing knocks down Saotome Ranma." 

"Nothing, Serori?" Vejiita glanced around the corner,   
startling the mated pair. 

"Well, nothing except for you and Goku-san bulldozing me to   
the ground," Ranma grunted. 

The Prince smirked. "I thought so. Are you ready, or are you   
going to mate with my futago right here in front of me?" 

The pair blushed, Akane swatting Vejiita's chest. "Hush,   
gaki." They released each other, and with a final glance at Akane,   
Ranma swept by Vejiita and out the door. 

Akane put a hand on her brother's arm, holding him back.   
"Watch him for me, Vejiita. I want my mate to return as a   
Saiya-jiin, not a Drone." She let go of his arm and stepped back. 

Vejiita grunted, but nodded slightly. He turned and left as   
well. 

Akane sighed and bent her head slightly, her tail twitching   
nervously. Nodoka wrapped an arm around the female Saiya-jiin.   
"He'll be fine, Akane-chan. Ranma always is." 

Bulma smiled comfortingly at her sister-in-law. "Of course,   
Seiika-chan. Vejiita-chan won't let anything happen to him." She   
giggled slightly. "Otherwise then he'd have to suffer two females in   
the hormone-driven throes of pregnancy!" The three of them   
chuckled, alleviating the tension. 

The call of 'Tadima!' turned their attention to the front door   
as Nabiki came strolling in. "Konban wa, minna. Who's the hot young   
body out there?" 

Bulma smirked. "Which one?" 

She grinned toothily. "Does it matter?" Actually, I   
recognized most of them--Ranma-kun, Goku-san, Gohan-chan, and   
Vejiita-ototochan. It's the two with the funky hairdos that caught   
my attention..." 

Akane arched an eyebrow. "Which one? The purple-haired   
male," she winked at Bulma, "or the one with the pigtail?" 

Nabiki shrugged, setting her briefcase down and pulling off   
her jacket. "Well, the purple one is a little short for my tastes. I   
want to look up into my man's eyes." Bulma choked slightly. The   
others giggled. "Although he does have gorgeous blue eyes." Nabiki   
gave Bulma an odd look, but continued on. 

She moved into the kitchen and grabbed a cookie of a plate.   
"The tall one is gorgeous. Great body." She licked her lips slightly.   
"Will have to do something about that hair, though." 

The group moved into the living room, giggling at Nabiki's   
description of the future Saiya-jiin. "Well, Nabiki-chan," Akane   
grinned evilly, "I could probably arrange a meeting with   
Tobuma--he's the tall, pig-tailed male--but you'd have to ask his   
Otousan first. He might not want his son near your clutches." 

"Oh?" Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Well, no man can resist   
Tendo Nabiki for too long. Who's the father?" 

"Well, actually, you know him really well..." 

"Honto?" 

Kasumi shook her head. "Stop teasing her, Akane-chan." 

Akane pouted and turned toward her oldest sister. "But it's   
so fun!" Kasumi shook a finger and smiled. "Yosh, yosh..." She   
sighed and turned back. "Ruin my fun...Actually, Nabiki, the main   
thing you need to know about both of them is that they're   
Saiya-jiin." Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "And they're from the   
future." 

"Future?" 

Akane nodded. "Hai. They're here to help defend Chikyuu   
against the Hachi, the new enemy we're fighting." 

Nabiki sat on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her.   
"Okay, I have a feeling I'm missing a lot of info. Spill, Imoutochan." 

Everyone got comfortable as Akane retold everything that   
happened so far to Nabiki. After her explanation, the middle Tendo   
female nodded. "All right. That's all fine and well. But you still   
haven't answered my question--who're the two stud muffins?" 

Akane took a deep breath. "Well, the purple-haired one,   
Trunks, is Bulma and Vejiita's son from the future, and Tobuma is   
mine and Ranma's." 

Everyone watched silently as Nabiki processed all of this new   
information. Her face remained stony. The only indication she   
heard and understood was that the corner of her eye twitched   
slightly. 

"So, you're saying that I'm lusting after my own nephews."   
Akane nodded, a small smile curling her lips. "Who are from the   
future." The smile got bigger as the female Saiya-jiin's head   
bobbed in agreement. "Well, since you and they aren't actually   
related to me by blood, do you know if they're taken yet?" 

The entire room facefaulted. 

"Nani?" she glanced around. "It's true, ne?" 

Akane sat up and sighed loudly. "Nabiki, that wasn't the   
plan..." 

"Well, what was it then?" She crossed her arms. "Or are you   
going to spring it on me that you're pregnant, too? And you're   
pregnant with the current version of the hunk out there?" 

Akane blinked a few times. "Actually, Nabiki-chan, hai. You   
hit the nail on the head." 

This time, Nabiki facefaulted. 


	23. Patroling the Skiesand the Rooftops

A Tail To Remember   
by Gie: phowahcs.com   
  


A Tail To Remember   
Chapter Twenty-Two: Patrolling the Skies, and the Rooftops 

**_Team One: Shampoo, Ukyou, and Tobuma_**

The three young Chikyuu-jiin bounced from rooftop to   
rooftop, silent except for a muffled grunt here and there. Ukyou   
and Shampoo kept giving the half Saiya-jiin accompanying them a   
stolen glance. Both were very curious of the supposed spawn of   
Ranma and Akane, but did not know how to approach the unknown   
male. 

Both stumbled slightly, Ukyou almost missing the roof that   
she was in mid-leap, when Tobuma broke the silence. "So, do I look   
more like my Okaasan, or my Otousan?" He grinned at the flustered   
females, baring white gleaming incisors. 

The okynomiyaki chef blushed. She was just trying to figure   
that out. "Do Saiya-jiin have telepathy powers?" she grumbled   
quietly to herself. 

"Iie, not really. Between mates, hai." He flicked his earlobe.   
"But we have very sensitive hearing." Ukyou blushed even deeper. 

"Look like Ranma more. Have Akane's eyes." Shampoo   
declared, albeit a bit grudgingly. 

Tobuma nodded. "'Tousan would say the same thing. He was   
glad that something from my 'Kaasan survived within me." 

The trio was silent once more, continuing their journey over   
the rooftops of Tokyo. Ukyou cleared her throat after a bit and   
spoke. "So you're really from the future, ne? Do we find life on   
Mars?" 

"Iie," Tobuma grinned slightly. "Not much attention was   
placed into frivolous programs like that when the Hachi started to   
methodically take over the cities, then the countries." He sighed   
softly, gazing off into the blue sky. "And when 'Kaasan was made   
Queen of the Chikyuu Hive, their efforts tripled. At least that's   
how 'Tousan and Bulma-obaasan talked." 

Ukyou caught the note of sadness in his voice. "Someone said   
that Akane was captured early in the war. Did you have much time   
with her?" She jumped over to the roof that he had paused on, and   
laid a comforting hand on his bicep. 

Tobuma smiled at her gesture. "Iie. She was captured about   
a month after I was born. 'Tousan would tell stories of when they   
ran around with you two and everyone else. My favorite was the   
adventure with Saffron." 

Shampoo blinked. "That when Akane almost die." 

He nodded. "Hai, but he would tell the story of the battle   
with such passion and vivid recall. And he would get this far-off   
look in his eyes when he'd talk about 'Kaasan closing her eyes   
completely." He smiled slightly, blinking out of his own dream-haze.   
"That was also the first time he told her that he loved her." 

The Amazon frowned, remembering the battle as well. "He   
not say it then." 

"Not out loud." Tobuma smirked. "He pretty much screamed   
it through their Bond. It was latent then, because of the seal   
Kami-sama placed on their Saiya-jiin traits, but it still existed." He   
gave the two female a smile. "You two, or any other female that   
tried, never had a chance with him. My 'Kaasan had his tail wrapped   
around her finger from day one, when she had asked if he wanted to   
be friends in his female form." He blushed slightly at the stormy   
looks the two gave him. "Gomen nasai, but it's true. Their Bond   
would not allow them to look at another, much less mate with them." 

"So," Ukyou hmmed out loud, still rather mad at his blunt   
statement. "They Bonded or whatever, when they were what, two?" 

"Hai, on Vejiita-sei," he confirmed. His eyebrows furrowed   
slightly. "Almost fifty years ago, my time." 

"How far in future you come?" Shampoo raised an eyebrow in   
disbelief. 

Tobuma blushed slightly. "Well, if Okaasan's pregnant with   
me now, and I'm almost 18 years old, then..." 

Both Ukyou and Shampoo let out a horrified squeal. **"Akane's**   
**pregnant?!"**

"You didn't know?" 

The females shout in unison once more. **"Iie!!!"**

"Oops..." Tobuma put a hand behind his head and smiled   
sheepishly. He tugged on his pigtail unconsciously. 

"That hussy!" Ukyou was fuming uncontrollably. "How dare   
she seduce Ranchan before they were married!" 

Shampoo pulled out her fighting mace. "Shampoo make   
Violent Tomboy pay!" An murderous gleam filled her eyes. 

Tobuma flashed out of sight and reappeared in front of them,   
arms spread wide and a serious glare upon his face. "You will not   
touch my Okaasan, ladies, or you will find out what a mad Super   
Saiya-jiin is made of." He glared at Shampoo harder. "Again." His   
lashing tail added to his argument. 

Shampoo paled, and backed up slightly. Ukyou glared at   
Tobuma, not backing down against his threatening posture. "We are   
still legally Ranma's fiancees--until we are retribruted, or until he is   
officially married, and recognized, by the government." 

Tobuma stepped closer to Ukyou, accepting the unspoken   
challenge in her stance. He began to raise his voice in anger. "Do   
you think they are concerned about your petty claims? Do you truly?   
They have been mated for almost thirty years, now. In this time!   
Do you think a forgotten yatai or a law that doesn't even apply to   
them is going to break their Bond?" He spat out his words. "They   
aren't even from this damn planet! They're freakin' aliens! I'm a   
freakin' alien, too!!" His eyes flashed green and a streak of blonde   
whipped through his hair. 

Both Ukyou and Shampoo were silent throughout his tirade,   
soaking up his words. Their eyes got wider and wider as Tobuma got   
angrier and angrier. Finally, Tobuma turned around and after a   
silent stretch where he gathered his remaining wits, he flared his   
aura bright. "All right. Now, that that's taken care of, and won't be   
spoken of again, can we finish patrolling? The Hachi are not a   
creature to be taken lightly." He launched himself into the air and   
streaked away in a ball of yellow light. 

Ukyou and Shampoo watched him leave. "Definitely Akane's   
temper." Shampoo nodded somberly in agreement. They returned to   
their roof-hopping patrol, heading in the same direction the upset   
Saiya-jiin flew.   
****

**_Team 2--Goku, Gohan, and Trunks_**   


The three Saiya-jiin flew in a triangle formation, silent. Each   
had their eyes open, watching for any minute sign or indication of   
Hachi activity. 

"'Tousan, are you sure there are Hachi out here?" Gohan   
whined slightly. 

His father shook his head. "Iie, Gohan. But it's better to be   
safe, than sorry." 

Trunks nodded. "Hai. If Otousan had a feeling, and acted   
upon it, then it's best to listen to it." Goku nodded in agreement. 

Gohan gave the purple-haired Saiya-jiin a furrowed glance.   
There was something that had been bugging him, and we wanted it   
answered. "Trunks-san, can I ask you a question?" 

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Shoot, Gohan-san. What   
is it?" 

The youngest Saiya-jiin glanced at his father. "Well, I was   
wondering why, when you mentioned the senshi dying by the Hachi,   
you never mentioned 'Tousan." Goku started slightly, and glanced at   
his son, who had a very worried look on his face. "Does 'Tousan get   
assimilated by the Hachi really early?" 

Trunks frowned deeply. He really didn't want to disclose   
future events, for they might still happen in this timeline. But   
looking at Gohan, his face all scrunched up in worry, he decided to   
let time take its course, and deal with the consequences when they   
happen. 

He glanced at Goku, whose face had a neutral look of   
concentration--he was studying the surrounding area for signs of   
Hachi activity--but Trunks knew he was listening intently to what he   
would have to say. 

He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Hai, Gohan. Goku-san   
was killed by the Hachi, but not the normal way, through   
assimilation. Remember, a Saiya-jiin can not be assimilated--our   
DNA is resistive to the nanoprobes." 

Gohan nodded slowly, his young mind whirling. "But what   
about Seiika-san? How did she get assimilated by the Hachi?" 

Trunks frowned. "Seiika-obaasan was captured when she was   
out in public. They swooped in fast and furious, and actually   
captured Kaasan as well." 

Both Goku and Gohan let out a gasp, pausing in mid-air.   
"Bulma, too?" Goku questioned. Trunks nodded, stopping as well. "I   
bet Vejiita was really mad." 

"He was, for me and Tobuma were with them and we got   
captured as well." He nodded at the sharp intake the Sons made. 

"Serori-ojisan, Tousan, and everyone else was able to mount a   
rescue mission, but when they found Seiika-obaasan..." he trailed   
off. 

Goku's expression hardened. "It was too late, wasn't it?" 

Trunks nodded. "Both 'Tousan and Serori-ojisan found her.   
Assimilated. Lost. Gone." 

Gohan shook his head. "But how? You just said Saiya-jiin   
can't be assimilated. How was she?" 

Trunks sighed at Gohan's insistent questions. "Well, actually,   
she's not completely assimilated, Gohan. She's partially assimilated,   
if that makes sense. They used a special nanoprobe on her because   
she's the Queen. As 'Kaasan explained it to me, she's half Drone, and   
half Saiya-jiin." 

"When Vejiita and Serori found her, they should have..."   
Gohan was cut off by a heavy hand on his shoulder. He glanced up   
into his father's face questionably. 

"Gohan, do you think they could have killed her? Really and   
truly?" Goku spoke softly. "I would not be able to do such a thing to   
your Okaasan." He glanced over to Trunks. "Their Bonds still   
existed, ne? That's why both Vejiita and Serori didn't kill her." 

Trunks sighed and nodded once. "Hai. It was ingenious of   
the Hachi to keep their Bonds intact. That way, neither   
Serori-ojisan or 'Tousan could have taken Seiika out." 

"Why?" Gohan wondered, still confused. 

Trunks explained quietly. "You're still a little young to   
understand completely, Gohan, but when a one of our kind decides to   
spend the rest of their lives with another, they develop a link, or a   
Bond, that can not be broken, ever. Only if one of them dies is it   
broken, and then usually the other will die shortly after. When   
'Tousan died, 'Kaasan almost died, too, but Serori-ojisan was able to   
stop her. She was never the same after that." He blinked a few   
times, mellow in his thoughts. 

He continued after a minute of so of silence. "One thing   
about the Bond is that a mate can not kill a mate. So Serori-ojisan   
could not kill Seiika-obaasan." 

Gohan nodded slowly, still figuring things out. "But what   
about Vejiita-san? Or someone else?" 

"Seiika-obaasan and 'Tousan shared a Bond of their own. A   
Bond of siblings." He continued evenly. "Being twins, their Bond was   
almost as strong as a Mate Bond. It would have been tragic for   
'Tousan if Seiika died by his own hand. And everyone else?" The   
demi-Saiya-jiin laughed slightly. "Would you want to be the one that   
killed Serori, Seiika, and Vejiita?" 

He shook his head rapidly. "Iie." 

"By keeping the Saiya-jiin DNA intact the Hachi made sure   
Seiika would be kept alive as their Queen." Trunks continued.   
"What they did was overlap the Saiya-jiin DNA with the Hachi   
DNA." 

"So, she still had Saiya-jiin characteristics, but Hachi ones,   
as well?" Gohan questioned. 

Trunks smirked slightly. "Hai, Gohan-san. You know, you're a   
pretty smart guy." 

Gohan blushed, ducking his head slightly at the comment. 

Goku smiled at his son, but turned to Trunks, solemn once more.   
"There's more, isn't there, Trunks? How I died?" 

A short nod was all the response he gave for the moment. 

"When Seiika-obaasan was captured, the scientists took   
samples of her DNA and created a poison that affected only   
Saiya-jiin DNA. They found out that we're immune to the   
nanoprobes. They loaded it into the probes, and if they were   
injected into a Saiya-jiin, it took affect immediately. The death was   
fast, and the pain as excruciating as if you were being assimilated." 

"And that's how the Hachi killed the Saiya-jiin?" Gohan   
whispered. "Do I die like that? Does 'Tousan?" During Trunks'   
explanation of the poison, Gohan had steadily moved closer to his   
father; now he clutched at the orange gi Goku wore. 

Trunks stared at the youngest Saiya-jiin. He glanced at   
Goku, who gave him the go-ahead. "All Saiya-jiin, except for me and   
Tobuma, and my Tousan, were killed by the poison." 

Goku looked startled. "Not Vejiita? But he's..." 

Trunks put up a hand. "Hai, he is. But he self-destructed,   
taking a Hachi leader with him, when my imouto was killed." 

Gohan blinked at the new information. "Imouto? You had a   
younger sister, Trunks-san?" 

He nodded. "Hai. She was only a year old when she was killed   
in front of 'Tousan's eyes. I have a picture of her..." But before he   
drew out the sacred portrait, something caught the attention of his   
senses. "What was that?" 

Goku furrowed his eyebrows. "That was someone's ki spiking." 

All three Saiya-jiin glanced at each other and spoke one name   
in unison: 

** "Serori."**   
****

**_Team Three: Serori (Ranma), Vejiita, and Mousse_**   


The two pure Saiya-jiin males floated in the air, waiting for   
Mousse to catch up. 

A large frown deepened Vejiita's features. "Can that blind   
fool be taught how to fly? This is a waste of time, having to pause   
every couple minutes." 

Ranma shook his head. "Iie, I don't think so. Mousse focused   
and trained with the Hidden Weapons style, not ki." An idea came to   
him. "Although..." 

When Mousse caught up, finally, Ranma called down to him.   
"Hey Mousse, ya got any water on ya?" 

The Amazon male reached into his sleeve. "I have a canteen,   
Ranma." 

Ranma floated down to him and took the water. "Arigatou."   
And poured part of it on unsuspecting Mousse. 

"Quack quack!" Mousse-chan sputtered, making what sounded   
to be nasty duck curses. He shook the excess water off his   
feathers and glared up at smirking Ranma. 

"Oh hush, Mousse. This way, you'll keep up with us better.   
I'll change ya back if we need ya, okay?" 

Vejiita snorted at the display from above. "Use your   
abilities, senshi, or go back to the females." 

The white duck just grumbled under his breath, shook some   
more water off his feathers, and took to the air. 

Ranma watched the him flap around in circles. "Okay,   
Mousse--why don'tcha stay close to the ground and the   
buildings--you can get in there better and got get detected by the   
Hachi." He held out his arm, letting Mousse land there. 

He gave the equivalent of a shrug and quacked a few times. 

"I don't know. But you'll know when ya see one, that's for   
sure. They don't look anything like a human." 

Vejiita raised an eyebrow at the conversation. "You   
understood what he said?" 

"Sorta. Ya get the gist of it after awhile." Ranma just   
shrugged. He turned back to Mousse. "Are ya ready to go?" The   
duck nodded, and with a toss of his arm, he launched into the air,   
and swooped down to the city below, disappearing into the maze of   
buildings. 

Vejiita snorted and shook his head. "Tell me, Serori," Ranma   
glanced up and nodded. "What would you have done if your memories   
were not unlocked by the Nameksei-jiin?" 

Ranma launched himself into the air, and started to drift slowly   
through the sky, absently scanning the ground below. "What do you   
mean, Vejiita-ouji?" His expression turned confused. "I don't get it." 

"What would you have done with your life, without your   
Saiya-jiin heritage?" Vejiita drew out, rather impatiently. "What   
about Seiika?" 

The younger Saiya-jiin smiled, a goofy grin spreading across   
his face at the mention of his mate. "I'd probably still would've   
ended up with Akane, if that's what ya mean. I already knew I   
loved her, and not any of the other fiancees." He thought harder.   
"At this point, we still probably would be fighting, and not   
'together-together,' but I'd prolly be with Akane in the long run,   
and end up runnin' the Dojo with her." He grinned at Vejiita.   
"What about you? Would you have come lookingfor her?" 

Vejiita shook his head, his mouth a grim line. "Iie. I did not   
know you and Seiika survived the pod, or had landed on this planet. I   
had mourned her death and moved on a long time ago." His face was   
a stone mask. "I have been rewarded by higher powers to have her   
back in my life." 

A short period of silence thickened in the air between the   
two Saiya-jiin senshi. 

"I understand what you mean, Vejiita." Ranma spoke quietly,   
startling the older male slightly, his voice thick with emotion. "I   
almost lost her once, to a demi-god, Saffron. I felt completely   
empty--and so alone. I cried out to the heavens to bring her back to   
me. And someone listened, because she came back to me." Ranma's   
voice was hoarse by the time he finished his thought, and he was   
silent once more. He put on a burst of speed, shooting ahead of the   
older male, so Vejiita would not have to see his loss of control over   
the emotions. 

Vejiita listened to his brother-in-law's account of the   
Saffron battle, and let the stricken Ranma be alone. He knew how   
much it hurt to lose a loved one--he remembered the pain of the   
Bond with his sister being ripped from his soul. He let Ranma grieve his   
almost-loss in private. 

Suddenly, both were startled out of their solemn   
contemplation by the loud quacking of Mousse-chan as he shot straight up   
toward them, wings flapping madly, making a noisy racket. Ranma   
halted in mid-air, holding his arm out. "What's up, Mousse? A   
hunter after your feathers?" 

Mousse just circled over their heads, and quacked louder. 

Vejiita scrunched up his face, the noise hurting his ears.   
"Shut the bird up, Serori, or I'll eat it for a snack." He growled, irritated. 

Ranma threw Vejiita a glance. "Get on my back Mousse, and   
I'll pour the hot water on ya." 

After adjusting everything, and throwing Vejiita an evil glare,   
a now human Mousse spoke. "I think I spotted some Hachi, below, in a building. I   
was flying close and saw a green flash. I peeked in the window and   
saw some big bugs attacking the people inside." 

Ranma flared his aura, making Mousse wince. "Sounds like   
Hachi. Let's go." Vejiita nodded and flew down, Mousse and Ranma   
right behind him. 

They approached the building silently. The picked up their   
speed when they heard screaming, and saw the green glow bursting   
from several windows. 

"Looks like your hunch was right, Vejiita-ouji," Ranma   
growled, his body pressed up close to the building. 

Vejiita nodded, watching the windows. "Hmm." He glanced at   
Mousse. "You know how to use a blade?" 

The Amazon male nodded. "I have several on me, and use   
each one well." 

The Prince just grunted. "We'll go in from the front door,   
and methodically cover each floor, starting on the bottom." He   
dropped to the ground, and using a small ki ball, 'unlocked' the door. 

Ranma dropped soundlessly next to him, Mousse stepping up   
next to him. The three entered silently, all eyes peeled for any sign   
of Hachi. 

The building contained several offices, by the looks of the   
layout. And by noting that all the lights were left on, and machines   
left running, either the employees vacated the rooms quickly, or the   
Hachi had already been here. 

Vejiita peered around the offices, eyes darting and ears   
straining for any sign or sound. There were no signs of the bee   
creatures. He gave the two other senshi an all-clear signal, and   
indicated to a flight of stairs. They ascended to the next level. 

Both Ranma and Mousse flattened themselves against   
opposite walls, and with a soft _shink_, Mousse unsheathed a blade   
from one of his arms. A green flash made all three senshi turn their   
heads, centering their attention on a door at the end of the hall. 

Vejiita crept up to the door, and taking a very quick glance   
inside, turned back to them. He nodded and held up a handful of   
fingers. 

Hachi. 

Both Ranma and Mousse nodded their heads and positioned themselves   
behind Vejiita. With a ki-lit hand, the Saiya-jiin no Ouji jumped into the room,   
firing off the first shot.   
****


	24. The Rise and Fall of Senshi

A Tail To Remember   
by Gie: phowahcs.com   
  


A Tail To Remember   
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Rise and Fall of Senshi   
  
Vejiita's shot did catch them unaware, and one Drone was   
immediately turned into a pile of ashes. Ranma ran in after him, and   
fired a small shot of his own, but the remaining Drones were quick to   
recover and absorbed the ki, returning it immediately. 

Mousse parried against his own Drone, and with a neat slice,   
lobbed off the head of the Hachi. "These Drones aren't as bad as   
you made them out to be." He smirked as the Drone fell to the   
ground, a blue blood-substance dripping off his blade. 

"Don't get cocky," Vejiita sneered, as he sparred against a   
third Drone, quickly taking it out. "A small group like this is child's   
play." 

Ranma grunted as he dodged another ball of his own ki.   
"Yeah, these buggers are quick, too. And they know their moves."   
He ducked as an arm came a little too close to his head. "These are   
tougher than the last batch!" With a grunt, Ranma made a leaping   
kick, throwing the Drone against the wall. He let out a sphere of ki,   
hoping to catch it while it was still dazed. He moved quickly to   
dodge when it was returned to him, full force. 

Suddenly a green light fell over the room, paralyzing the   
three senshi. 

"Kuso!" Vejiita swore. "There's still more!" 

"I can't move!" Mousse struggled vainly in the green light. 

Ranma stared helplessly at the Drone he was originally   
sparring with as it came close to him. It removed one of the silver   
disc on its arm, and attached it to his chest with a press of a button. 

A high-pitched scream of pain and terror filled the room,   
letting Ranma know that Mousse was injected as well. 

Vejiita grit his teeth as his second attempt at assimilation   
was conducted. The Saiya-jiin no Ouji tried to free himself, but to   
no avail. 

Ranma struggled against the beam, trying in vain to get to the   
disc. "Iie--not like this. I can't go out like this! No No No NO **NO**!"   
With a tortured scream ripping through his throat, he powered up,   
wild blue aura rippling against the green of the paralysis beam. 

A flash of blonde streaked through the wild locks of the   
struggling Saiya-jiin. And another. 

Vejiita's eyes went wide when he felt Ranma's flux in power.   
He bellowed out. "Keep going, Serori! Try to fry the disc!" Vejiita   
himself let out a powerful yell, and flared into Super Saiya-jiin. 

He fought against the beam, his arms moving inches at a time.   
Finally, after struggling for a bit, he was able to clutch one hand   
around the disc. "Shimatta! No simple paralysis beam is going to   
stop the Saiya-jiin no Ouji!" He powered up the hand, hoping to fry   
the disc right off his chest. 

But a flash of orange and yellow distracted him. A small sigh   
of relief, followed by a scowl of impatience greeted the newcomer.   
"Kakarotto. Took you long enough. Why didn't you use that teleport   
trick of yours?" He shook out his limbs, silently grateful to be able   
to move once more. 

Goku grinned, green eyes sparkling, as he knocked the head   
off the Drone that was using the paralysis beam. "Oi, Vejiita, I did!   
We didn't know where you were until Serori flared his ki." Goku   
stood in front of Vejiita and tried to pull the assimilation disc off. 

"Bakayaro!" Vejiita yelped and cracked Goku in the head with   
a fist. "It's attached to me! Where's that Mirai brat of mine?   
Wasn't he with you?" 

Goku pointed over his shoulder. "Trunks and Gohan are   
taking care of a group of Drones we found outside the building."   
He studied the smaller male critically. "You know, you won't turn   
into a Drone. Trunks explained it to me and Gohan about the   
Saiya-jiin DNA genes being resistant to it." Vejiita just rolled his   
eyes and fiddled with the disc. 

Goku's turquoise eyes wandered to Ranma, whose aura was   
still flashing wildly. "Uh, ano, Vejiita--is Serori-kun okay?" 

He glanced up at his brother-in-law. "He got really mad when   
the disc was attached to his chest. I think he's near the breaking   
point of Super Saiya-jiin." 

Goku nodded, watching the young male's aura flicker. "Hai.   
Every once in a while you'll see a flicker of gold. You can do it   
Serori!" He encouraged the younger Saiya-jiin. 

"Baka," Vejiita snorted, "he doesn't need encouragement. He   
needs to get angry." An evil smirk curled at his lips. "Kick it up,   
Serori! What are you, a Saiya-jiin or a Human? At this rate, you'll   
never be strong enough to protect Seiika!" 

Ranma's mind was reeling, half-listening to what Vejiita was   
yelling. He didn't realize he was released from the paralysis beam.   
But the last sentence struck home. 'Protect Seiika...Protect   
Akane...I must! Argh!!' And with a piercing scream and a blinding   
flash, Ranma joined the ranks of the True Elite. 

Golden. 

_ Super Saiya-jiin._   


As his aura blazed and pulsed around him, he dimly became   
aware of his situation. The only thing that entertained his attention   
were the large unfamiliar figures that were entering the room.   


_ The Unfamiliar was Unknown._

_ The Unknown is Unpredictable._

_ The Unpredictable is Dangerous._

_ Dangerous to his Mate. And his unborn child._

**_ Mate and unborn child must be protected at all costs!_**   


With a final roar, Ranma launched himself past the   
astonished Goku and Vejiita, and directly into the path of the   
unsuspecting Hachi that were entering the large meeting room. His   
fists and feet were non-existent as he took out the Drones as   
quickly as they arrived. 

From the sidelines across the room, Goku, Vejiita, and soon   
joined by Trunks and Gohan, watched in wonder as the unstoppable   
force that was once known as the mild Serori methodically ripped   
apart the Drones, easily rendering them to pieces. 

Trunks muttered as he watched the spectacle, "What did you   
say to him, Otousan?" 

He shrugged, eyes glued on Ranma's blurred form. "Not   
much. Only that he was too weak to protect Seiika." 

The purple haired senshi blinked a few times and then   
nodded. "That'll get him everytime." 

As Ranma continued his assault on the hapless Drones, the   
first group, Ukyou, Shampoo, and Tobuma arrived and joined the   
other senshi. 

Shampoo stared at the whirlwind known as Ranma. "Aiya!"   
she breathed, "that Ranma?" 

Gohan nodded. "Hai. And what he's fighting are the Hachi   
Drones." 

Ukyou let out a gasp. "Why are you letting him attack all by   
himself? He could get hurt!" She pulled out her battle spatula and   
prepared to help. 

Goku shook his head, and put a hand on her shoulder. "He's   
doing just fine by himself, Ukyou-san. Besides, do you want get in   
the way of those fists and feet?" Ukyou shook her head   
emphatically. Goku smiled and added a thought. "He might mistake   
you for a Drone, as well. Don't worry, he just needs to work off some   
stress." 

Tobuma watched the one-sided battle with a critical eye,   
easily keeping track of the body count that was piling up on the   
floor. His eyes widened drastically when he realized something was   
different... "He's a Super Saiya-jiin!" He turned to the others. "He   
went Super!" 

Trunks rolled his eyes and nodded slowly. "Hai, he has been   
the entire time. Where've you been?" He smirked, looking more and   
more like the male standing next to him. "Took him long enough." 

Tobuma punched his cousin in the shoulder. "Watch it, ya   
half-breed gaki. That's my 'Tousan you're ribbing!" Trunks just   
rolled his eyes again. The tri-colored senshi turned back to the   
fight. "So what set him off?" 

Goku pointed to the still blurry Ranma. "He's got an   
assimilation disc on his chest. But Vejiita told him he wasn't strong   
enough to protect Seiika-chan." 

Tobuma nodded, crossing his arms. "Hn. That'll get him   
everytime." 

"Otousan," Trunks spoke hesitantly, "Do you want me to get   
your disc off?" 

Vejiita glanced down at his chest. "Might as well. But don't   
destroy it. The Onna wants a functional disc to putter with. She   
can have this one." 

Trunks nodded and stepped closer to the past version of his   
father. He played with the controls, but a frown passed over his   
chiseled features. "Did you go Super Saiya-jiin when this was on?" 

"What does it matter, brat?" Vejiita glared into his mirror   
image. 

"Well," Trunks glared right back, undaunted. "When you   
flared Super, you fried the arms. Now they won't come out of your   
chest." He crossed his arms. "Okaasan will have to remove it   
herself." 

"Like I knew that was going to happen." Vejiita snorted and   
pushed the boy away and concentrated on Ranma, who was still going   
strong. 

Gohan glanced at the older Saiya-jiin. "But isn't it hurting   
you? And putting more nanoprobes into your system?" At that   
thought, both Ukyou and Shampoo moved quickly away from the   
group. 

"Aren't you going to change into one of those--things?"   
Ukyou exclaimed. 

Vejiita turned and glared venomously at her. "Does it look   
like I am, wench? Saiya-jiin are immune to the Hachi's pitiful   
attempts." 

Ukyou glanced at Tobuma, who nodded in agreement. "Hmph.   
Like I care." She crossed her arms and settled on glaring back at   
Vejiita. 

By this time, the dismembered and destroyed bodies of   
numerous Hachi lay strewn on the floor. One remained and it stood   
alone, in front of Ranma. 

In the pulse of Ranma's Super Saiya-jiin aura, the golden light   
glinted off the coke-bottle lenses that rested haphazardly on top of   
the lone Drone's head, one arm hooked on an antennae. 

Shampoo and Ukyou gasped when they realized who it was. 

Mousse. 

The Hachi that stood before them originally was Mousse. He   
had not been immune to the effects of the Hachi's assimilation   
nanoprobes. 

Ranma backed up slightly, putting some distance between him   
and the last Drone. "Someone, onegai..." he rasped, trying to regain   
his breath. 

Goku put a friendly and comforting hand on his shoulder.   
"You've done good, Serori-kun. You can rest now." 

Ranma nodded, and stared Shampoo in the face, his   
expression pained and his turquoise pupilless eyes filled with sorrow.   
His voice was barely a whisper. "I couldn't kill Mousse--gomen nasai,   
Shampoo--he was a good senshi, and friend." With a soft sigh, his   
aura winked out, and he collapsed to the floor. 

"Ranma!" Ukyou squealed. She moved quickly to help him, but   
Tobuma's hand on her shoulder stopped her movement. 

"He's just tired, Kuonji-san. He'll be okay after a good rest." 

Vejiita frowned, staring at Ranma's unmoving form. He   
strode over to him, and picking him up by the shoulders, dragged him   
into a corner. 

Goku's eyebrows went sky-high at the gesture. "Oi, Vejiita! I   
didn't know you cared about him that much!" 

A slight tinge highlighted the high cheekbones of the Prince   
and crossed his arms violently. "I don't. Seiika is more than likely   
going ballistic from their Bond. She made me promise to watch him."   
He gave Ranma a quick glance and then threw a savage glare at Goku.   
"It is none of your business in the first place. We need to   
concentrate on killing the Drones." He pointed to Mousse-Drone,   
who was standing still in the center of the room. 

Gohan turned to Shampoo and Ukyou. "Mousse-san was your   
friend, ne?" 

Ukyou blinked and looked down at the youngest Saiya-jiin.   
"Hai, he is. Shampoo here grew up with him." 

Gohan turned his gaze to the purple-haired female. "Do you   
want to leave? It might be best." 

"What you do to Duck-boy?" Shampoo spoke quietly, still   
staring at the Drone. 

An eyebrow twitched as Goku spoke. "We need to eliminate   
all the Drones." 

Trunks pulled on Shampoo's arm. "Come on, we can go wait   
outside." Tobuma pushed lightly on Ukyou's back as well. 

Shampoo blinked and ripped her arm from out of the future   
Saiya-jiin's grip. "Iie. Shampoo watch. Mousse may be male, but he   
still Amazon. Shampoo watch to tell Baba-chan of death." She   
crossed her arms and planted her feet defiantly. 

The okynomiyaki chef glanced at Tobuma. "Well, Sugar, I   
don't need to watch." He nodded and the two left the room. 

Shampoo turned to Trunks and stared hard into his face.   
"How you eliminate Mousse?" 

He blushed slightly under the glare and shrugged. "He   
doesn't have an assimilation disc, so a high-powered ki blast will take   
care of him." His face turned serious. "Do you need to do a certain   
death ceremony or something?" 

Shampoo shook her head. "Iie. Males inferior so no need   
special warrior rites. If female, then hai." 

Trunks frowned. "What's with the male bashing? We're just   
as strong, actually several hundred times stronger than you." He   
flared his aura slightly, bringing it into visual range. His pride was   
obviously damaged. 

Shampoo raised an eyebrow at the display of machismo and   
gave him a scrutinizing once-over. "Hnf. Shampoo see better.   
Duck-boy even better than Girly-hair boy." She snorted and turned   
away from Trunks. 

The male blinked at the insult. "Hey! Leave my hair out of   
this!" He glared at the snickering behind him. "The style of my hair   
has nothing to do with my strength or my fighting abilities." 

She snorted again and refused to turn back around. "Maybe.   
But girly-hair on boy not take seriously." 

Trunks' face turned a deep shade of red. "All right,   
you...female..." He stomped his foot when he heard a snicker behind   
him at the lame comeback. "Since my hair hinders your judgment,   
let me change it for you and give you an example of my skills." He   
roared and flared into Super Saiya-jiin, his now golden blonde spikes   
standing straight up. 

Shampoo raised and eyebrow and shrugged, a careless smirk   
curling at the corner of her mouth. "Any warrior can form aura.   
Shampoo not impressed." 

Trunks growled and fell into an offensive stance. "Fine. I   
didn't want to fight a weakling for a girl, but you leave me no choice." 

During this exchange, Goku and Gohan had quietly taken care   
of Mousse, disintegrating him. They moved closer to Vejiita, giving   
the two senshi ample space to battle. Goku whispered to the older   
Saiya-jiin. "Trunks-kun has your pride, ne, Vejiita?" 

Vejiita just glared at Goku, and was about to retort, but a   
groan from his feet brought his attention back to the awakening   
Ranma. 

"Nuhh," Ranma groaned intelligently, "What hit me?" 

Goku helped him stand up, giving him slight support. "The   
power of a Super Saiya-jiin, that's what, Serori-kun." 

He stared into space for a minute, then a slow grin melted   
across the newest Super Saiya-jiin's features. "I went Super, didn't   
I?" he asked. 

"Che. Took you long enough, Serori." Vejiita grunted, not   
letting his pride show for his first student. 

"Arigatou, Vejiita-ouji." Ranma grinned, rubbing the back of   
his neck. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. "How long   
was I out? And where's Ukyou and Tobuma?" He gave Goku a glance.   
"Did you take care of Mousse?" 

Gohan nodded and answered him. "Not very long, Serori-san.   
Kuonji-san and Tobuma-san are out in the hallway." He pointed to   
the pile of ash in the middle of the room. "And that's Mousse-san." 

Ranma nodded, but frowned a bit when he saw the blackened   
and charred disc on his chest. "Both Vejiita and I could have been   
assimilated, as well as Mousse. Our Saiya-jiin DNA really is   
immune." He pulled the disc off his chest with a wince, and poked   
the puncture wounds gingerly. 

He glanced up sharply, turning his attention to Shampoo and   
Trunks, who were both in fighting stances. "Oh no, Trunks-kun can't   
fight Shampoo!" 

Vejiita snorted, waving his hand dismissively. "Let them be.   
The gaki will make short work of the bakana female." 

Ranma shot Vejiita a glance. "I know that. That's what I'm   
afraid of." He called out to Trunks. "Don't fight her, Trunks! Or   
you'll end up married to her!" 

The blond Super Saiya-jiin blinked a few times. "Nani?" He   
dropped back to normal, his hair returning to its original lavender   
and falling back down into place. 

Shampoo pouted. "No fair, Ranma. You ruin Shampoo's plan." 

Ranma shook his head and smiled. "Good thing, too." He   
turned to the future senshi. "How do you think I met Shampoo? I   
defeated her in a tournament, although I was female at the time.   
When she found out I was male, she gave me the 'kiss of marriage'   
and has been trying to get me back to China ever since." 

"You were just trying to marry me?" Trunks' frown deepened. 

Shampoo shrugged. "Baba-chan be happy. New male sperm in   
Amazon tribe. Bring strong females into village." 

He purple-haired senshi choked and fell to the ground in a   
facefault. 

Vejiita gave his future son a snort and glared at Shampoo   
hatefully. "Pathetic female. You can never hope to have the perfect   
genes of a Saiya-jiin in your bloodline. Especially the Royal   
Saiya-jiin. Give it up!" He spat at her feet and walked out the door. 

Tobuma popped his head around the door frame. "There are   
no more Hachi left in the building, Otousan." 

Ranma nodded, giving him a smile. "Good. I better get back   
to Akane. She's worried sick, especially since she felt my power   
level fluctuate." 

"Didn't you tell her through your Link?" Tobuma questioned. 

He shrugged. "I tried, but I don't think she's thinking too   
clearly at the moment." 

"Why don't you go back to Seiika-chan, and take Ukyou-san   
with you." Goku suggested. "The rest of us will continue patrolling." 

"Hai." Ranma turned to Shampoo. "You want to come too,   
Shampoo?" 

"Might as well, since Shampoo not know how to fly." She   
sidled up to Ranma, blinking seductively at him. "Unless Ranma want   
to teach Shampoo?" 

Trunks sputtered. "What the hell? You were just ready to   
jump my bones! Now you're back to Ojisan?" 

Shampoo let go of the squirming Ranma. "Shampoo always go   
back to Ranma." She gave Trunks a sidelong glance. "Girly-hair boy   
jealous?" She wrapped her arms around the hapless Ranma again. 

Trunks facefaulted again.(Poor Trunks!) **"IIE!!!"**

Ranma chuckled a little and removed Shampoo's arms from   
him. "Not right now, Shampoo. I need to get back to Akane." 

Shampoo sighed and nodded. "Ranma not know what he miss   
when he choose Violent Tomboy." 

Tobuma frowned. "Watch it, Shampoo-san." 

"Come on, Shampoo." Ranma rolled his eyes and walked out of   
the room, followed by everyone else. 

Outside, Vejiita stood still, watching the horizon, Ukyou   
looking bored. She brightened when she saw Ranma emerge from   
the building. "Ranchan! Are you okay?" 

He waved off her concern. "I'm fine, Ucchan. Ready to go   
back to the Dojo?" 

She nodded, smiling. "You bet!" She turned around in a   
circle, frowning. "Although I don't know which way to go." 

He smiled back and waved at her again. "Well, then just leave   
the directions to the driver." He swept her into his arms. "Or   
should I say pilot?" 

Ukyou squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck.   
"You're gonna fly?" 

He nodded. "We'll get home a lot faster this way." He   
glanced over his shoulder. "Climb onto my back, Shampoo." 

She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, and her   
legs around his waist, as well. "Shampoo not too heavy, ne?" 

"Naa, I'm fine." He flared his aura bright and nodded to the   
group. "See ya back at the Dojo, minna." Ranma coiled and sprang   
into the air, become a fading vapor trail within moments. 

Vejiita glanced at the remaining Saiya-jiin. "Are we going to   
continue? Or sit and contemplate the weather?" he sneered. 

Goku chuckled. "Yosh, yosh, Vejiita. We're coming!" He   
turned to the cousins. "Should we split up again?" 

Trunks nodded. "Hai. Otousan and I, and you, Gohan and   
Tobu-kun. Sound good?" 

Everyone nodded. "How long should we stay out?" 

Trunks glanced at his father and shrugged when he got no   
answer. "Hopefully not long. It's starting to get dark. Your call." 

Goku nodded. "Okay. We'll see you back at the Dojo, ne?"   
His eyes brightened. "Maybe they'll have supper waiting for us!"   
With a wave he jumped into the air, Gohan and Tobuma following. 

"Which way should we go, Otousan?" 

"The opposite direction of Kakarotto, baka." Vejiita snorted   
and leapt into the air. 

Trunks sighed and shook his head. He soon followed in his father's vapor   
trail. 

Chikyuu, Some unknown location 

Daisy sat in his command chair, watching a holographic image   
of Chikyuu. On the large display, several set of lights, cluster   
together would blink and grow in numbers, indicating that more and   
more Humans were being assimilated into Drones. 

He smiled slightly. "At this rate, we're going to take Chikyuu   
completely within a few weeks. Hopefully, we'll find the Queen by   
then. I can't control a whole planet of Drones by myself." 

He turned away from the image and was about to go check on   
the status reports of the perimeter Drones when a warning klaxon   
brought his attention back to the screen. "Computer, identify   
alarm." 

_ Warning--contact with warrior team five lost._   
_ Warning--contact with warrior team five lost._

Daisy frowned. "Bring up the last known location of warrior   
team five on the holo display." A circle flashed up onto the screen,   
and highlighted an area off a large mainland. 

He frowned deeper. He knew exactly where that group was   
headed, but didn't expect them to be picked off so soon. And so   
easily. "Computer--status of other warrior teams." 

_ Warrior team one is functioning. Assimilation rate is low._   
_ Warrior team two is functioning. Assimilation rate is normal._   
_ Warrior team three is functioning. Assimilation rate is high._   
_ Warrior team four is functioning. Assimilation rate is normal._   
_ Warrior team five is not functioning. There is no contact with_   
_team five._   
_ Warrior team six is functioning. Assimilation rate is..._

"Enough computer." He stared at the screen, watching the   
circle blink. He gave a loud sigh. "Patch me through to the   
_Tokemonu_." 

Another screen popped up, with Iris in the center. "Are you   
reporting in, Daisy?" 

He nodded. "Yes, sir. I have dispatched six teams to start   
the assimilation." 

Iris nodded. "Is everything going okay?" 

"Most of the teams are doing fine, sir. Some a little lower   
than others. It just depends on where they started their   
assignments." 

"I sense a 'but'." 

Daisy nodded slowly. "There is. I have lost contact with one   
team." 

"Lost contact?" Iris glanced at Rose, who had just entered   
the room. He blinked, surprised, at the new tuft of purple fur and the   
green stripes. "Daisy is just filling me in on his progress." 

Rose nodded and turned to the screen. "Any contact with the   
Saiya-jiin?" 

Daisy blinked as well at Rose's upgraded appearance, but   
continued on. "I believe so, sir." He turned to his controls and   
disappeared from the screen. "I'm showing you my schematic of   
Chikyuu, and the positions of the teams." He paused a minute. "The   
circle is team five's last known coordinates." He paused again, and a   
black box came up on the screen, mere inches from the circle. 

"The box is where the first scout party landed, and their last   
known locations." 

Rose shook his head, his antennae bouncing back and forth.   
"I knew those Saiya-jiin would be trouble." 

Iris gave him a warning glance. "Daisy, has any of the other   
teams been decreasing in number?" 

The schematic disappeared, and Daisy's visage appeared once   
again. "No, sir. They have been steadily increasing in number." 

"More than likely the Saiya-jiin are concentrated in that one   
area." Violet turned from his post and commented back to the   
captain. 

Iris nodded. "More than likely. Daisy, make sure you keep   
going with the assimilation. Just don't send any more teams in the   
Saiya-jiin's general vicinity." He turned behind him. "Marigold, how   
are the repairs coming?" 

He punched a few buttons, displaying a schematic of the ship.   
"We're progressing as fast as we can, Captain. Although, we are   
almost finished with repairs on the off-line engines." 

"Good. As soon as they're ready, fire them up. I want to get   
to Chikyuu as soon as we can." He turned back to the screen, where   
Daisy was waiting patiently. "We're coming, Daisy. Hold on." 

"Yes, Captain." 

"And Daisy," Iris added. "I want you to send one of your Scout   
Drones to the last location of team five. Check for survivors." 

"Although I don't think there's going to be many of those,   
Captain." Rose growled. "Damn Saiya-jiin." 

"Rose..." Iris sighed. "After it reports back to you, keep it   
there and have it scout for the Queen. The sooner we find her, the   
better." 

Marigold spoke. "Only one Scout, Captain?" 

"Yes. I don't want it to draw attention." He glanced back at   
Daisy. "Make sure it has clear orders for no assimilation." 

"Yes, sir. Daisy out." 

The Captain of the starship _Tokemonu_ gave a loud sigh. "I   
have a feeling when word gets out through Chikyuu's news networks,   
Daisy is going to be needing our help as soon as possible." He turned   
to Violet at the helm. "How much longer until we reach Chikyuu at   
our present course?" 

"About six standard months, sir." 

"And when we get the engines back online at maximum   
speed?" 

Violet plotted the course. "It will take some time to get the   
engines completed, but at best approximation...three months." 

"Thank you, Violet." He turned to Rose. "You've upgraded?" 

Rose nodded, a steely look flashing across his black features.   
"Yes. And you should, too, Captain. The Saiya-jiin are not an enemy   
to take lightly. Every advantage that we can have will help in the   
long run." 

Iris turned back to the front. "Get us up to our maximum   
speed, Violet. Every light year counts." 

"Yes sir." 


	25. Dojo Hijinks

A Tail To Remember   
by Gie phowahcs.com   
  


A Tail To Remember   
Chapter Twenty Four: Dojo Hijinks   
____

_Nerima, Tendo Dojo_

The girls were sitting in the living room, listening to Bulma   
tell stories about the Z Senshi's earlier adventures. It passed the   
time and took their minds off where the other groups were, and what   
they were doing. 

Nabiki, ever the pessimist, snorted in disbelief. "So, you're   
saying that most of the people that were here before have died?   
Goku-san, Kuririn-san, and Vejiita-ototochan have been   
resurrected?" She shook her head. "That sounds very--what's the   
word--unbelievable." 

The blue haired female smirked. "Well, it's true. Actually,   
Kuririn has died twice--once in one of the Tenka-ichi Budokai, and   
the other time Friiezer sent him to meet Enma-sama." She let a   
small sigh escape. "Yamucha and Tenshinhan have now been dead, twice. It's   
a good thing the Dragonballs are powerful magical items, otherwise who   
knows where Chikyuu would be, today." 

"How did you find out about the legend of the Dragonballs,   
Bulma-san?" Kasumi asked politely. "I have never heard of them."   
Most of the other guests murmured in agreement. 

"Well, I found one of the Balls in the bowels of Capsule Corp.   
I did a little digging and research, and found the legend of the   
Seven Dragonballs, and the Mystical Dragon, Shenlon, that will grant any wish." 

"So what does this 'Mystical Shenlon' look like? Why haven't   
we heard about him appearing before?" Nabiki was still unconvinced.   
Even though she has seen her share of the impossible and the magical   
since Ranma arrived into her household, she was still unconvinced.   
She was a material type of girl--to see it and hold it is to believe it. 

Akane spoke up, not breaking her gaze out of the window she   
was attached to. "Remember that weird storm a year and some   
months ago? When the sky got all black, with a lot of lightning, but   
no rain?" 

"I remember that. The meteorologists said it was a freak   
summer storm. Heat lightning or something to that effect." Nodoka   
mused, very interested in Bulma's tale. Nabiki just shrugged. 

Bulma nodded. "I heard that, too. But that was when we   
resurrected Tenshinhan, Chao-tzu, and sent the Nameksei-jiin to   
their new home. And actually, to be literal, that was Porunga, the   
Namekian Dragonballs' Dragon. He's probably three times larger   
than our Shenlon." 

The females in the room were silent for a bit, digesting the   
new information. Nodoka broke it when she stood up. "Anyone need   
any more tea?" She got a few positive responses. "Akane-chan,   
could you help me?" 

Akane glanced at her mother in law, and nodded slowly. "Of   
course, Obaasan." She followed the older female into the kitchen. 

"Tadima!" 

Everyone swung their gaze toward the entering figures of   
Soun, Genma and Cologne. The female Saiya-jiin winked out of   
sight, and startled the three patrollers when she appeared out of   
thin air in front of them. "Did you see anything?" 

All three shook their heads. "Nothing, child. We did not   
encounter any foreign or alien creatures, unless you count that   
bokken-wielding boy." Cologne pogoed over to a chair and sat down   
with a sigh. "It took us awhile to rid us of his presence." 

Akane made a face. "I hope Kuno didn't follow you back." 

The old Amazon shook her head with a small chuckle. "Iie." 

Akane blinked a couple times and turned back to her window, her   
tea-assignment forgotten as her train of thought went back on its   
main track. Nodoka sighed in defeat and retreated into the kitchen.   
Everyone else turned back to other conversations once more, Bulma   
and ChiChi arguing slightly over the chronological events of one   
adventure. 

"It's a good thing that we didn't run into any of those   
creatures, ne, Saotome?" Tendo nodded his head, sagely. "If we did,   
we would have had to get serious!" 

Genma grunted in agreement, but moved over to Akane,   
turning his gaze out the window as well. "You have a link, or   
something, to the boy, ne?" 

She nodded silently, her reflection showing her agreement.   
Her eyes didn't leave the slowly darkening scenery outside. 

He spoke again after a few moments of silence. "Has he given   
you any indication of what's going on?" 

Akane shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Nothing concrete.   
But the Link between us is almost vibrating; he is sending so many   
emotions back to me." She flicked her eyes up to her father in law's   
image in the glass, then returned them to her vigilant watch of the   
scenery. "He is fighting now. Nothing too heavy at the moment, but   
I am trying to send him as much encouragement as possible through   
our Bond." 

She paused slightly and continued. "You know, Ranma nor I,   
hold a grudge against you for your comments earlier." 

Genma acknowledged the comment with a grunt and a nod.   
"But your futago does." 

"Vejiita does. And he probably will for a long time." She   
turned slightly toward him. "On Vejiita-sei, your words and actions   
toward the Royal house, Ranma now included within, would have been   
treated as treason, and warranted a bloody death. Every Saiya-jiin   
loyal to the Throne holds the Imperial Laws in reverent regard,   
almost like laws from the Kami themselves." 

"I don't blame him for reacting that way. It has been a very   
long time since we considered you and Ranma as alien beings, and not   
our own flesh and blood children." He glanced at Akane   
affectionately. 

She returned the gaze. "I know, and understand. And so   
does Ranma. But just try and stay away from Vejiita as much as   
possible. He has a rather volatile temper--makes me in one of my   
'Ranma no baka hentai' fits look like a giggling schoolgirl." The two   
gave each other a knowing smirk. 

"By the way, Akane-chan, the reason I was late tonight is   
this." Nabiki held up and waved a handful of papers in her hand. 

Akane lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. She moved away from   
the window and Genma to take the papers from her sister. "Nan de   
yo?" 

"Read them yourself, Saotome-san." 

A small smile lit up her face. "Is this what I think it is?" 

"Hai. You're now officially on the Saotome register." 

Akane grinned as she nodded through the congratulations.   
"Domo arigatou. Although the wedding ceremony was about thirty   
years ago." Her smile dimmed as she flipped through the other   
pages. "What are these other papers?" 

"Your wedding present." Nabiki smirked. 

She blinked a few times as she read through the papers.   
"Tousan--these are the deeds to the Dojo and the property. With   
mine and Ranma's names on them." Her eyes were wide with   
astonishment. 

Soun nodded, tears filling his eyes and spilling down his   
cheeks in rivulets. "They are now officially yours, Akane-chan. Oh, how   
I have lived for this day! Your Okaasan would be so proud of you if   
she were with us today!" The rivulets exploded into a full torrent of   
rain. 

"Tousan..." Akane smiled slightly. "Arigatou, from both of   
us." She glanced down at the papers again, her smile fading into a   
frown. She stepped up to her father and thrust the papers into his   
hands. "But we can not accept this yet." 

The tears immediately stopped. "Why not, Akane? You and   
Ranma are married, and can finally take over the Dojo. We have   
been planning this for a long time." Soun looked confused and hurt   
by Akane's implication. 

She blanched. She and Ranma just talked about this   
morning... "Gomen nasai, Otousan. But until the Hachi are   
eliminated, and the threat is over, we need to focus on them." 

"Of course, Akane," Kasumi soothed her upset father. "But   
after the enemy is gone, then you will take over the Dojo, right,   
Akane-chan?" 

Akane was silent for a few moments, head bowed. When she   
spoke again, it was in a very serious tone. "To tell you the truth,   
Kasumi, 'Tousan, I don't know." Soun let out a gasp. She continued   
quickly with her explanation. "When Tobuma-chan and Trunks-kun   
came, they told of a very bleak time of war, of death, and of loss." 

She glanced around the room at her family members and   
friends. "In their time-line, which hopefully will never happen to   
ours, I was taken and made Queen of the Hive in just about six   
months. Ranma was left to take care of a one-month old Tobuma." 

Akane played with the tip of her tail as she turned back to the window.   
"If our world goes down that path, creating what they foretold, the   
Dojo is going to be non-existent. Ranma will concentrate on   
defeating the Hachi with the other senshi, trying to protect   
Chikyuu's inhabitants, plus trying to raise Tobuma all by himself. I   
would love to have the option to tell you we were going to take over   
the Dojo, but..." she trailed off and was silent again. 

But not for long. All of a sudden, she dropped to her knees,   
and clutched her chest, crying out in pain. "Aaahhh!" 

Bulma bolted to her side. "What's wrong, Seiika-chan? Is   
it...aaaahhh!!" Bulma also fell to the ground, clutching at her chest. 

Everyone started to panic. "What's going on?" Nodoka cried   
out. 

Bulma flipped around. "Ha..Hachi!" she gasped, breathing   
laboriously. "The Hachi are attacking....Vejiita and   
Serori...assimilation discs..." But as soon as the pain started, it   
stopped. 

She sat up, disoriented. 'Nani? What happened?" 

But Akane was still panting, her aura flicking violently.   
"Ranma...fight..it!" 

Everyone tried to gather around her, wanting to help in some   
way, but finding themselves helpless to assist the flashing female.   
They were unable to get close. For suddenly, without any warning,   
Akane screamed out and flared into Super Saiya-jiin, her aura   
throwing the nearest people away. 

Cologne braved the heat of Akane's aura and moved as close   
as possible. "What is going on, child? What's wrong?" 

"Serori is fighting...the Hachi," Akane stared off into space,   
her aquamarine eyes glazed over. "He's fighting hard--but he is also   
winning..." 

Bulma stood shakily from where she was tossed by Akane's   
burst of aura, getting an assist from ChiChi. "Vejiita was   
assimilated again--or at least they attached a disc to him again. It's   
the same pain as the first time." She closed her eyes and   
concentrated hard. "Serori-kun has defeated the Hachi. By   
himself." She opened her eyes and smirked. 

Nodoka glanced at Bulma, her eyebrows drawn together in   
confusion. "And how do you know that, Bulma-san?" She glanced at   
Akane, who finally powered down, dropping out of Super Saiya-jiin. 

"Vejiita told me." Nodoka blinked a few times, and nodded. 

She moved to her daughter in law, helping her to stand. "Are   
you okay, Akane-chan? What happened?" 

Akane nodded, her hand on her chest. "I'm okay, Obaasan. It   
was just an overflow from Ranma. He's okay now." She walked out   
of the room, and went outside to stand next to the koi pond. Her   
eyes were glued to the horizon. 

She was alone for awhile, staring into the distance. Bulma   
joined her side after a few moments, startling her when she laid a   
comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay, Seiika-chan?" 

"Hai, I'm fine, Bulma-chan," Akane smiled back, giving her sister   
in law a reassuring grin. "I had my side of the Link as far open as possible,   
trying to sense the battle and giving him as much support as I could from   
here. It was just a lot of backwash ki. The only way I could control   
it was to go Super Saiya-jiin, or shoot a hole through the roof." Her   
smile disappeared rapidly, her smooth features drawn into a serious   
frown. "But something happened out there, Bulma-chan. Something   
big." 

The pair was quiet as they both watched the horizon for any   
signs of activity. Soon, Akane stood straighter. "There he is." 

Bulma peered into the darkening sky. "Where?" 

She pointed into the distance, a faint speck on the horizon. "There.   
And he has Shampoo and Ukyou with him." A bit of a frown flashed   
across her face, but was gone as quickly as it arrived. 

Bulma snorted, shaking her head. "You Saiya-jiin and your   
eyesight." 

"Yup, I'm glad this came back," Akane grinned at the human   
female. "Advanced hearing, eyesight, smell, reflexes--I don't know   
how I survived for so long with such deadened senses." 

She turned away from the koi pond, watching her husband   
and mate land with his cargo of two. Ranma set down Ukyou gently,   
bending slightly so Shampoo could release his neck. She did, but not   
without a farewell squeeze. 

"Aiyah! That fun! Ranma must teach Shampoo how to fly.   
Would make delivery too much easier!" 

Ukyou grinned and ran a hand through her thick brown hair,   
retying it back after her very windy and very tangly ride back. "That was   
a lot of fun, Ranchan. We gotta do that again!" 

Ranma gave each of his ex-admirers a big grin. "Well, we'll   
see." He turned around to see a scowling Akane. "Hima-chan..." 

She just glared at him. "Well?" 

"Well, what?" He scratched his head confusedly at her. "I   
just gave them a ride back, because they can't fly, Akane. They   
didn't do nothin' ta me." 

"That's not what I was talking about." Her scowl got deeper,   
and darker, if that was possible. 

He frowned right back. "I'm okay, Akane. The Hachi didn't   
assimilate me, if that's what gotcha worked up." 

"That's obvious." She rolled her eyes in frustration. "But   
that's not what I meant, baka." 

He stared at her for a moment. Suddenly a big grin broke   
loose across his face, and he jumped a few yards into the air.   
"Hima-chan, you'll never guess what happened to me." Ranma let out   
a loud yell and started to power up. And up. 

The rest of the people that were inside flooded the yard   
when they heard Ranma's yell. 

"What's going on, Akane-chan?" Nodoka asked, staring at he   
brightly-lit Ranma. "What's he doing?" 

"He's powering up, Saotome-san," ChiChi answered for her,   
her black eyes glued to the sky, very familiar with the process.   
"Seiika-chan, is he going..." But stopped mid-sentence when a bright   
yellow flash blinded them. 

"Hai, ChiChi-san. That's why I went Super Saiya-jiin." Akane   
spoke as she jumped into the air, turning Super as she flew up to the   
now Super Saiya-jiin Ranma. She stood in front of him, her stance   
very poised and royal. "Ometadou, Serori, son of Toma. You are now   
a True Elite." 

Ranma bowed deep in front of his mate and princess, fist on   
his chest in salute. "Domo arigatou gozaimasu, Seiika-oujosama. My   
life is yours to command." 

"Rise, Golden Senshi," Akane commanded, her own fist on her   
chest in salute. "And greet your mate properly." 

Ranma straightened up, his green eyes glittering. "As you   
command, my princess." He floated forward and encased Akane in   
his embrace, crushing her to him. 

Akane clutched at his torn shirt, her face burrowing in his   
chest. "You scared me, baka. I thought I was going to be mated to   
a Drone." 

"Shush, Hima-chan, it's okay." He pulled away slightly, wiping   
away the tears that fell down his mate's cheeks. "I won't let some   
damned bugs take me away from you." The distance closed once   
again as their lips came together in a well-deserved kiss. 

Several of the females on the ground sighed at the display of   
affection. Nodoka had a pleased grin on her face; Ukyou glanced   
down, blushing; Shampoo frowned and turned away. 

She moved closer to her great grandmother. "Mousse dead   
by Hachi." 

Several gasps were heard at this news, Cologne just raised an   
eyebrow. "You saw this, Shampoo?" 

She nodded. "Hai, Honored Elder. Mousse turn into Drone,   
then dust pile." 

Bulma cleared her throat. "Well, he's not completely dead.   
We'll wish him back with the Dragonballs." 

Cologne narrowed her eyes at the blue-haired genius. "Do not   
taunt an old woman, child." 

"They do exist, Cologne-san." Bulma smiled kindly. "You can   
ask anyone from Western Capital--they will look at you strange, but   
most will remember a dragon in the middle of the city." 

"They do exist then? The story of the mystical dragon and   
the seven balls of magic is an old one, created to make a young child's   
imagination wander." Cologne said with a small smile. "But if you say   
they exist, then I believe you." 

"They do. Just ask Son-kun or Vejiita--both have been   
resurrected by the Dragonballs at one time or another, as well as   
other friends." 

Ranma and Akane floated down, both powered down to   
original states, tails intertwined with the other. Ranma had a grim   
line across his mouth. "Mousse fought well against the Hachi,   
Cologne. All three of us were caught by the paralysis ray of those   
damned bugs. Only mine and Vejiita's Saiya-jiin genes protected us   
against assimilation." 

Kasumi roused the group out of its silence. "There is still   
more dessert left inside. Why don't we wait there for the other   
parties to return?" 

Akane smiled at her sister. "That's a good idea,   
Kasumi-neechan." 

Soon, everyone was inside except for Ranma, Akane, Bulma,   
and ChiChi, who had taken over Akane's spot at the koi pond, eyes   
glued to the horizon. "They'll be back soon, ChiChi-san," Ranma said   
quietly. "They probably won't be out much longer after dark." 

"Was Gohan-chan and Goku-saa all right, Serori-kun?" ChiChi's voice   
wafted back to them on the breeze. 

"Both were fine," he assured her. "Goku was the one that   
took away the paralysis beam from us. And Gohan never even fought   
a Drone while I was there." 

ChiChi nodded, and turned toward the house. But before she   
went inside, she paused on the porch. "Tell me, minna, what is   
entailed in a Saiya-jiin Mate Bond?" 

Bulma blinked a few times in surprise. "Well, it's more like a   
Link, then a Bond, at times. I can feel Vejiita's feelings, that is when he   
lets down his guard long enough to let me feel them, and I can sense   
his moods. If I concentrate hard, we can communicate   
telepathically. Although," Bulma snorted, "he can do that better   
than I can." 

Ranma grinned. "That's because Saiya-jiin are naturally   
telepathic, Bulma-kun." 

"Smart ass," Akane elbowed him. She turned concerned eyes   
to ChiChi. "Why did you want to know, ChiChi-san? Don't you know   
all of this?" 

"Some of it, Seiika-chan," ChiChi nodded. "but the way you   
talk makes it sound like each of you are almost part of the other." 

"We are," Akane softly said, leaning harder against Ranma.   
He wrapped his tail around her waist in response. "Our souls are   
one, sealed together by the Mating Ceremony." 

"Aren't you and Son-kun Bonded, ChiChi?" Bulma's eyes were   
wide in realization. 

The dark-haired human turned around. "I think we may be,   
but not like you are. Goku-saa and I didn't do a special Mating   
ceremony, or anything like that. We did not know of his Saiya-jiin   
heritage until Radiitzu came, remember? And he has no memories of   
Vejiita-sei to draw from." 

"But I thought you said that Gohan-chan was conceived on   
your wedding night?" Bulma remembered. "That is the final step of   
the Mating Ceremony--for a child to be conceived of the completed   
Bond that you share." 

She shrugged. "During the wedding I just happened to be at   
my most fertile. I don't think that Bonding caused me to become   
pregnant." 

"Can you sense where Goku-san is, ChiChi-san?" Ranma asked,   
trying to steer the conversation away from **that**. 

"Only if he is really close to me," she admitted. "I wouldn't   
have felt anything happen," she nodded at Akane, "like what you felt when   
Serori-kun jumped to Super Saiya-jiin." She swallowed a lump in her   
throat. "I did feel something the day Goku-saa died. In the fight   
with his brother. But, it wasn't anything monumentous. Just a   
twinge inside. But I knew it was big. And when Kamesennin came..."   
She cleared her throat and smoothed out her plain dress. "I babble   
on too much. Just let me know when my Goku-saa and Gohan-chan   
get back, onegai." ChiChi turned back to the house and went inside. 

Bulma let out a small sigh for her friend. "ChiChi may have a temper on   
her, but she puts up with a lot from Goku. He may be Saiya-jiin, and the   
strongest creature on this planet, but he is oblivious to a lot of things." 

Akane frowned. "I always wondered why Goku-san never   
acted like a Saiya-jiin. ChiChi has more of a temperament   
associated with my race." 

"Well, Serori-kun isn't very wild and animalistic, either." The   
blue-haired genius pointed out with a chuckle. 

Akane snorted. "Yeah, well, you've never seen him in a true   
battle. He just keeps it bottled up until then." She glanced into his   
sober face, knowing what he went through with the Hachi when he   
transformed into a Super Saiya-jiin for the first time. 

"Maybe it's time Vejiita-chan and I had a little talk with Son-kun," Bulma mused.   
"Teach him about the Birds and the Bees and the Bonds." Both females laughed at   
the images that she conjured up and went inside, Ranma following with a large   
sweatdrop running down his temple.   



	26. Greetings and DiscoveriesLIME

**A Tail To Remember**   
**by Gie: phowahcs.com**   
****   
**** ****

**A Tail To Remember**   
**Chapter Twenty-Five: Greeting and Discoveries**   
****

After Ranma stepped inside, and closed the door behind him,   
he was overwhelmed by the hug his mother landed on him. He almost   
put it in par with one of Shampoo's glomps... "Are you all right,   
Ranma-chan?" 

The Saiya-jiin gurgled a few times, and managed to squeak   
out a reply. "Need...air...Kaasan..." 

"Oh, gomen, Ranma-chan." Nodoka released him and pulled   
away. She let out a gasp, though, when she saw the state of dress   
he was in. "Oh my! What happened?" 

"Nani?" He glanced down at his blackened chest, scraps of   
material exposing his charred skin. He frowned. "Hachi, that's what   
happened." He held up a hand, halting the next line of questioning.   
"I'll tell you all what happened in a minute. What I really need now is   
a bath." He glanced at Akane, who was standing next to him.   
**_Coming, Hima-chan?_**

**_Hai. _** She paused, and cocked her head slightly, giving him a   
critical glance. **_Are you all right? Really?_**

**_Yeah, I'm okay. Just tired and drained. _** He sighed a little   
and scratched his neck. **_Going Super Saiya-jiin like that really_**   
**_takes it out of ya._**

Akane snorted mentally. **_Don't even go there. We completed_**   
**_our Mating Ceremony after I turned Super Saiya-jiin for the first_**   
**_time, so don't even talk about being tired. _**She gave him a smirk. 

He smirked right back and turned toward the furo. **_Well, we_**   
**_just might have to repeat that performance, then, ne? In honor of_**   
**_my switch? _** He threw her a glance over his shoulder and   
disappeared from sight, the tip of his tail curling, as if inviting her   
to come along. 

**_Hn. As if you'd be any better than last night. _**Akane's grin   
grew wider and she followed her mate out of the room, her own tail   
corkscrewing in anticipation of the activities to come. 

Nabiki was watching their silent conversation with keen   
interest. She shook her head as they left the room. "Must be nice   
not to have to talk aloud. I wonder what they were talking about?" 

"Well, it isn't any of our business, is it, Nabiki-chan?" Nodoka   
admonished her. 

"Must have been dirty, by the looks of their smirks when   
they left. They were practically oozing sex." 

Kasumi gasped. "Nabiki!" 

She waved her hand dismissively at her sister. "It's not like   
they're not married or anything, Kasumi-neechan." She gave her   
sister a sinister smirk of her own. "You might have to clean out the   
furo after they're done, though." Kasumi gasped again at the   
unchaste thought. 

Bulma and ChiChi gave each other knowing glances. "That's a   
Saiya-jiin for you. Sex on the brain." 

ChiChi nodded in agreement with her friend. "Especially   
after a fight or a spar. Or a big meal. The only things that matter   
to Saiya-jiin are Food, Training, and Sex. But not always in that   
particular order." 

"Sometimes a combination of them at the same time." Bulma   
mused. "Has Goku ever wanted..." ChiChi and Bulma tuned everyone   
else out and starting comparing notes with each other. 

Ukyou raised an eyebrow and shook her head in disagreement.   
"Ranchan? I don't think so. You say the 's' word around him and he   
runs away like his tail is on fire." She giggled. "I guess that can be   
taken literally now." 

ChiChi turned and blinked at the young chef. She snorted. "I   
don't think so." 

"Well, that's not the Serori I know--he's always chasing   
Seiika-chan's tail. Usually catches it, too." Bulma grinned evilly.   
"Those two are just as bad as Vejiita and I. Maybe even worse,   
since both are Saiya-jiin. I only have to deal with Vejiita and his   
primal urges." 

"Honto?" Ukyou and Nabiki crowded up next to Bulma and   
ChiChi, their eyes wide. "Details!" 

"Nuh uh," Bulma shook her head firmly, waving a finger.   
"What Serori and Seiika do is none of my business. Let's just say   
that Saiya-jiin are...active...creatures." Bulma's eyes glittered.   
"Vocal, too. Gotta love those tails." 

"That's an understatement," ChiChi chuckled, shaking her   
head. "They have to burn off that excess ki somehow. And I refuse   
to let Goku-saa spar with Gohan-chan in the house." 

Nodoka fanned herself, trying to rid herself of several   
mental images. She really shouldn't think of Ranma and Akane's   
doing such activities...especially in that way... 

Nabiki had no concerns limiting her to what her imagination   
created. "Hmm, Sounds...stimulating." Kasumi let out a gasp of   
indecency. "So, Bulma-san, is that bishonen son of yours available   
for..." she cleared her throat suggestively, "private lessons?" 

"Nani?" Bulma had her own mind in the gutter...uh...clouds.   
"You mean Trunks-chan?" 

"Sure. I don't think Ranma's going to let me anywhere near   
Tobuma." The Tendo sister grinned. 

Shampoo spoke up. "Girly-hair boy not available." 

Everyone turned toward the once-quiet Amazon. Nabiki   
narrowed her eyes, suspicion and a little jealousy threaded through   
her gaze. "And how would you know that?" 

She scowled at Nabiki's look, and just crossed her arms   
defiantly. "Hemorrhoid man say so." She let out a sigh of defeat.   
"Shampoo challenge Girly-hair." 

Bulma blinked a few times. "Hemorrhoid man? You have to   
be talking about Vejiita." 

Shampoo nodded. "He say Shampoo pathetic for wanting   
perfect Saiya-jiin genes." She shrugged her shoulders, and gave   
Bulma a glance when she snorted. "Not understand what he mean.   
Shampoo don't wear jeans. Shampoo only want male sperm for tribe.   
Shampoo and girly-hair boy make strong female warriors." Bulma   
choked at the blunt statement and facefaulted. 

Cologne narrowed her eyes at her progeny, suspecting the   
worst from her statements. "You challenged him, Shampoo? What   
was the outcome?" 

"Ranma stop challenge from starting, so Shampoo not fight."   
Her scowl turned deeper and she started to pout. Bulma sighed in   
relief. 

Ukyou laughed out loud. "Good for him! Trunks shouldn't   
have to be saddled down like Ranma was with you." 

"Shut up, Spatula-girl." 

"Wanna make me?" 

Both females stood and fell into fighting stances, eyeing each   
other, weapons of choice in hand. 

Soun started to sweatdrop, backing out of the way of the two   
girls. "Now, girls, let's think this through a bit." 

"Well, if they're going to duke it out, all the better for me!"   
Nabiki grinned, and sat back to wait for the beating to commence. 

Kasumi glanced reproachfully at her younger sister, who just   
shrugged it off. She then frowned slightly at the two, who were   
just about ready to launch themselves at each other. "Please, Ukyou,   
Shampoo, do not fight in the living room. That is what the dojo is   
for." 

Ukyou scowled at Shampoo. "Fine." She shouldered her   
spatula and sat back down. "Another time." 

"Hmpf." Shampoo crossed her arms and turned away. 

Bulma gave ChiChi a glance, and then giggled. "All this over   
my son! He should be so lucky to have three beautiful girls fighting   
over him." 

Cologne chuckled and shook her head. "Well, it seems that   
Ranma's curse of attracting women has found another victim, ne?"   
Most of the room laughed. Shampoo, Ukyou, and Nabiki just glared   
at each other. 

**_In the furo_**

Ranma entered the room and immediately started to strip,   
removing the burned and soiled clothes from his muscular frame. He   
wanted to get rid of the Hachi evidence as soon as possible. He gave   
Akane a quick glance when she entered. He sat on the first stool   
and began to lather up. "So anything happen here while I was gone?" 

Akane stripped down as well. "Iie. Bulma-chan was retelling   
some of her early adventures with Goku-san and the rest of the   
gang." They were rather quiet as they cleaned themselves off. She   
paused in her own cleaning ritual to watch Ranma scrub his hands,   
arms, and chest almost viciously. "Want me to wash your back?" 

"If you want." He nodded absently, and kept rubbing his skin   
in a violent manner, his eyes blank. 

Akane stood and gently took the washcloth from his hands,   
stopping the abuse. Ranma started slightly, but just stared into   
space with the same blank expression. Akane knelt behind her mate   
and after soaping up the cloth, began to wash Ranma's back, moving   
in slow circles across the tanned muscles, which were tight with   
unreleased tension. The male Saiya-jiin slowly began to relax, his   
head dipping into his lap when she massaged his shoulders and neck.   
He let out a soft moan when the cloth wrapped around his tail. She   
gave it a soft squeeze, earning another deep-throated moan, but she   
quickly tended to his highly-sensitive appendage, cleaning it with   
care. She made her way back up his back, rubbing the muscles over,   
and when she reached his neck once more, she leaned into his ear,   
"I'm gong to rinse, okay?" 

He nodded slightly, and after the cold water fell over him,   
running down his expanded chest in rivulets, he shook his now red   
hair out, giving Akane her own mini-shower. He stood and pulled   
Akane onto the stool. "Your turn, Akane." 

Akane smiled slightly at him, watching the now female   
Saiya-jiin's face for any expression. She saw none. She melted   
under her mate's fingers, as they made their way across her back,   
rubbing out the kinks and knots the day brought on. "That feels   
good, Baby," she purred. She sucked in her breath when Ranma   
started to clean her tail, but that pleasure was quickly over. She   
leaned into Ranma's hands as he made her way back up her back,   
concentrating along her spine. 

"Rinse?" 

Akane nodded, her eyes heavy in contentment. She shivered   
a little as the cold water rinsed away the soap, but the chill went   
away when Ranma picked her up and carried her into the furo,   
holding her close to his warm, albeit female, body. 

She felt his muscles shift and contort, as he moved back into   
his male form when he hit the hot water, submerging them both.   
She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his   
chest. She let out a small sigh of contentment when his arms circled   
around her ribs, and his tail tangled around hers. They sat in silence   
for some moments, just enjoying the comfort of each other's   
presence as the heat and steam of the bathwater soaked into their   
pores. 

"Twenty-six." 

Akane opened her eyes, not realizing that she was on the   
brink of slumber. She blinked a few times at his statement from   
out of nowhere. She stared into Ranma's smoky-blue eyes, now   
clouded over with his thoughts. "Twenty-six what?" 

He didn't speak for a moment, but when he spoke, he turned   
his head away from her. "Twenty-six Hachi. That's how many I   
killed today. I remember each and every one. Twenty-six Humans   
that met their death by my hands. It would have been   
twenty-seven, with Mousse." He gripped her tighter, and Akane   
unconsciously reacted in the same manner. "I almost killed Mousse.   
I was so out of control. The fury from being Super Saiya-jiin   
clouded my mind and wouldn't let up. I had no control over my   
actions as I ripped into each and every one of the Hachi that came   
in through the door. I didn't even use any ki attacks. I tore them   
apart with my bare hands. Tore off their arms, legs, heads--" he   
shuddered violently, eyes closed, lost in the battle once more with   
his sanity. 

Akane shifted on his lap so she faced him, her legs straddling   
his waist. Her hands gripped his head so she was the only image he   
would see when he opened his eyes once more. "Ranma! Look at me!"   
He opened his flickering eyes, and Akane saw the mental struggle   
within. The turmoil was obvious without their Link adding its own   
commentary. "Don't even think about it that way! You had no choice.   
If you didn't stop the Drones, that would be twenty-six more Hachi   
to help assimilate Chikyuu and her Humans." 

"I know, I know." He sighed and pulled her hands away from   
his face, holding them in-between them. His face contorted with   
the memories. "But it was like ripping paper--it seemed like I put no   
effort into it--they just..." he trailed off and sighed once more,   
closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers. 

She echoed his sigh, and closed her eyes as well. Neither of   
them really had to deal yet with the brutal and animalistic side of   
their Saiya-jiin heritage. They knew the lust for blood, for killing,   
pulsed through their veins. They could feel it singing its song in a   
heat of a good spar. But then, they also were able to control it. To   
keep the beast bound and under restraint. But today, Ranma was   
unable to chain it. The jump to Super Saiya-jiin was what was   
holding it back, and when those bonds broke, so did his control. 

Unfortunately for the Hachi Drones, they were not in the   
right place at the right time, and took the brunt of an unbridled   
Saiya-jiin, the song of the battle singing loudly, and in control. 

Akane planted a kiss on her mate's forehead, and ran her   
fingers through his wet, tousled locks. She would more than likely   
have done the same thing, and in the same way. She was lucky that   
the beast just wanted to get laid at the time... 

Akane rubbed her head against Ranma's, her chin resting on   
his shoulder. "They will be wished back by the Dragonballs." 

"Their sacrifice will not be in vain." 

Ranma pulled away from Akane and stared into her eyes.   
"Some of those Drones could have been Sayuri or Hiroshi, or anyone   
that we knew. Or family members of them. Or even some of our   
own." He grasped her face lightly, and latched onto her lips, opening   
the Link between them and letting his emotions pour through. Akane   
let out a slight gasp as she received the torrent, but she took all of   
it in, and sent her own back. 

**_They will be avenged, Hima-chan. Mousse, Tenshinhan,_**   
**_Yamucha, and every other Human taken away by the Hachi. We will_**   
**_avenge their loss._**

Akane broke their kiss and stared into Ranma's flickering   
eyes; the steel determination that flashed deep in the smoky-blue   
depths. She nodded. "Hai." 

Both turned simultaneously toward the door. "Trunks and   
Vejiita are back." 

Akane nodded, and leaned into Ranma's embrace. "The others   
can greet them." She nuzzled her nose into the thick grooves of his   
neck, leaving feathery nips along his collarbone. "Now, didn't you   
mention a repeat performance of some kind?" Her tail curled around   
his thigh, and squeezed suggestively. 

"Hmm. Repeat performance?" Ranma purred, nibbling on the   
ear offered to him. "I think we can do better..." His hand rested at   
the base of her tail, eliciting a shiver of delight and a throaty growl   
from the female in his lap. "Much, much better..." 

**_Back in the Living Room_**

Bulma was talking with Nodoka about the wonders of   
Capsules, when she broke off the conversation, and stared blankly at   
the ceiling. "Vejiita." She stood and bolted out of the room. 

Nodoka blinked a few times, surprised. "What did she say?   
Where did she go?" 

"More than likely Vejiita is back." ChiChi smiled slightly.   
Some unrecognizable emotion flashed across the black-haired   
female's face, but it was gone the next moment. The others just   
nodded. 

Bulma stopped in the middle of the yard, near the koi pond   
and stared up into the sky. There was nothing in view, but after a   
few moments, something sparkled in the distance. As the sparkle   
got larger, a figure was able to be distinguished within. After a   
moment, Trunks landed. 

Bulma launched herself into her future son's arms, encasing   
him in her embrace. "Oh, Kami. I'm so glad you're back." 

Trunks blushed slightly and let a sigh escape, hugging Bulma   
close to his muscled chest. "Yosh, Okaasan." He let her go, giving   
her a warm smile. "Are Serori-ojisan and the girls back?" 

"Hai. Serori-kun is in the bath with Seiika-chan, getting   
cleaned up. The two girls are inside as well." She looked him up and   
down, and winked suggestively at him. "I think you have some   
admirers, Trunks-chan, ne? You don't have a girlfriend back in your   
timeline, ne?" 

Trunks blinked a few times, and blushed ferociously.   
"Shimatta, Okaasan! This is about Shampoo and that stupid   
challenge, isn't it? She's the one that challenged me! Damn..." The   
purple-haired senshi rolled his eyes and shook his head. 

Bulma just chuckled. "I heard about that." 

"And it's a good thing Serori stopped it. That blasted female   
had no respect for your Royal status and title." Both turned to the   
new arrival. 

"Otousan..." Trunks sighed and rolled his eyes again,   
exasperated by the line of conversation, and his parents. Vejiita   
just scowled and crossed his arms. 

Bulma stared at Vejiita's chest, which still had the Hachi   
assimilation disc attached to it. "Is that what I think it is?" She   
stepped forward and pulled Vejiita's arms apart, trying to get a   
better look at it. 

The Dark Prince just shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe." 

"But why is it still on? Doesn't it hurt? It could still be   
injecting you with nanoprobes?" Her fingers danced across the disc,   
and noted the frozen position of the arms. She played with the   
arms, and with a soft 'click,' the arms released their hold. She held   
up the disc, wonder and intrigue dancing in the deep depths of her   
azure expression. "Sugoi!" 

Vejiita grabbed her hands, gently prying them off the disc.   
He tossed the object to Trunks. "I am not affected. Saiya-jiin are   
immune to the affects, Onna." He turned her head to face him when   
she followed the path of her new toy. "The gaki can hang on to it   
for now." His onyx gaze delved deep into her pools of blue. 

"I tried to take the disc off, Okaasan, but Otousan didn't   
want me to." Trunks explained. He glanced between his future   
parents and noted their intense stares. 

Bulma barely nodded. "Okay." 

"Okaasan, are you even listening to me?" 

"Okay." One hand escaped Vejiita's grip and she trailed her   
fingers across his forehead, tracing his scowl lines lightly. Her eyes   
were still locked in his stare, unable or unwilling to break free.   
Vejiita smirked slightly, and his tail started to crawl up her leg,   
winding higher and higher, the tip disappearing. His free hand slid   
around her waist, pulling her flush against him. 

Trunks sighed and shook his head. He knew what was about   
to happen, and really did not want to witness such acts. They were   
his parents... "I'm going inside, all right?" He let another sigh   
escape when he realized he was still ignored. "Fine, be that way. Go   
at it like rabbits in heat in the middle of the carrot patch, see if I   
care. It's not like I haven't heard it before. Like last night. And   
the night before. And every day since I got here." Trunks grunted   
in disgust and stomped toward the house. 

"I'm so glad to hear you approve of our mating habits, brat."   
Vejiita smirked, finally breaking Bulma's gaze. "You realize if we   
didn't, you would not exist." 

Trunks had paused and turned to face his father when he   
started speaking. His cheeks colored slightly, and he mumbled an   
apology. "Gomen, Otousan, Okaasan." He turned back to the house   
and left the mated pair alone in the yard. 

"Your celibate son is jealous of us, Onna. He needs to get   
laid." Vejiita mumbled against Bulma's ear, nibbling on the lobe. 

"Hmm." she exposed her neck, giving him access to the   
creamy skin. "Mine? He's yours, too." 

The pair dropped to their knees in the lush green grass.   
"He's got your snippy attitude. No respect for his betters." He   
traced a fiery path down her neck, pushing open her chambray shirt   
and away as he exposed her shoulder to taste and devour. 

"Well, he's got...ah...your...oh...tail." Bulma shuddered as said   
appendage found its way under her shirt, ticking her stomach. "We   
are in the middle of the yard, Otoko..." 

"And that means what?" he purred, letting out a growl of   
pleasure when Bulma started to run her fingers along the furred   
tail. 

"I don't know..." Bulma blinked a few times and reached for   
the lip of Vejiita shirt, and with a tug, pulled it up and over the   
Saiya-jiin's head. She greedily took in the sight of his muscles, and   
when she saw the puncture marks from the arms of the assimilation   
disc, she leaned in, giving the wounds a healing kiss, flicking her   
tongue across his salty skin. Vejiita groaned quietly, and with a flick   
of his own wrist, watched the overshirt Bulma wore fall to the   
ground, leaving her in a white tank. 

"It means that the rest of the world will see the mating   
habits of a horny Saiya-jiin no Ouji and his equally horny Mate."   
ChiChi drawled from the doorway. Several wide-eyed females   
surrounded her, taking in the sight of a half-naked Vejiita and a   
desire-drunk Bulma. 

"Maybe if you watch, you can explain some things to that baka   
of a Saiya-jiin you call a mate." Vejiita smirked at his audience, and   
pulled Bulma even closer, nibbling on her neck. He found their   
Bonding scar and sucked on it lightly, earning a low moan from Bulma.   
He stared at them under heavy-lidded lustful gaze. "Or you're more   
then welcome to join us." 

ChiChi blushed a little, but just crossed her arms. "I think   
Bulma's enough for you to handle at the moment, Vejiita." She   
almost got knocked over as Nabiki tried to squeeze by. ChiChi   
frowned and held onto the younger girl's arm. "He was joking,   
Nabiki-kun." 

Nabiki pouted. "Damn." She turned back around and fell into   
a chair. Kasumi almost fainted in shock. 

Vejiita chuckled as he stood, pulling the clinging Bulma up   
with him. He nipped Bulma on the nose and let her go. Vejiita picked   
up his shirt and walked into the house, his exposed chest muscles   
rippling as he swung his arms. Every single female's gaze was glued   
to him when he strutted by. When he walked by Nabiki, he gave her   
a lustful glance, and licked his lips. "Who said I wasn't?" He   
stopped after a few paces, cocked his head slightly as if he was   
trying to hear something, and then pointed upstairs. "Serori and   
Seiika are inside?" 

Nabiki collected herself and swallowed hard. "Hai. They're in   
the bath." 

He nodded. "Is there another place to get clean? They are   
mating at the moment." 

Nabiki dropped her jaw in shock. "They're what!?" 

Vejiita frowned. "Mating. Are you deaf, Onna?" 

She shook her head, an evil smirk curling at her lips. "That's   
what I thought you said." She pointed down the hall. "There's a   
small shower out in the dojo." He nodded and threw a glance at   
Bulma, who was talking with ChiChi. Bulma's head immediately jerked   
toward him. She stared hard at him, and when he smirked, she   
blushed bright. Vejiita gave Nabiki one last smirk and disappeared   
down the hall, his tail waving slowly behind him. 

Nabiki stared at the retreating Prince, evil thoughts running   
through her mind. She turned to Bulma, who was about to follow   
Vejiita. Nabiki put a hand on Bulma's arm. "Can I ask you a question,   
Bulma-san?" 

The blue-haired genius, a little flustered from her earlier   
actions, and the thoughts Vejiita kept sending her, nodded slightly.   
"Nan de yo?" 

Nabiki moved closer to Bulma. "Is Vejiita as dangerous as I   
think he is?" 

"Oh, yes." Bulma smirked. 

"What about Trunks?" 

"You'd have to ask him, Nabiki-kun. Are you, Trunks-chan?"   
She looked over Nabiki's shoulder, where Trunks stood, his face   
almost purple in embarrassment. He had heard everything. 

"Shimatta, Okaasan. Is that all you have on your mind?"   
Bulma and Nabiki just gave each other an identical smirk, and Bulma   
waved, disappearing down the hallway. 

Nabiki turned back to Trunks, who looked like a trapped   
mouse under Nabiki's cat eyes. "So," the Tendo female sidled up to   
Trunks, her eyes half closed. She lightly dragged a fingernail across   
the half Saiya-jiin's chest. "Are you? You're just as gorgeous as   
your Otousan--are you just as dangerous?" Her voice dropped down   
to a throaty purr. 

Trunks swallowed. He didn't have much experience with   
females--the only female he really ever knew was his mother, and   
Ranma's female form, but then Ranma acted even more like a male in   
that state. His body was unconsciously reacting to the close   
proximity of Nabiki and her pheromones; his eyes half-closed, and   
his tail started to wave erratically. He swallowed hard once more   
and stepped closer to her, his mind throwing away any rational   
thought about how this was Nabiki-obaachan...she used to baby-sit   
him...change his clothes...give him an allowance... This was Nabiki, not   
an adult female with dewy eyes that you could drown in, a body that   
wouldn't quit sending signals to 'take me, I'm all yours,' and a heady   
musk that surrounded her that smelled...so...good. Bending slightly   
and leaning close, he growled low, his eyes aflame with barely restrained   
lust, "Do you want to find out, Onna?" 

"Find out what, Trunks-kun? Oh, hey Nabiki-neechan." Akane   
walked past the two, looking refreshed and content, and in a clean   
set of clothes. "Has anyone started supper? I'm really hungry."   
She walked into the living room. 

Both Nabiki and Trunks blinked, Akane's interruption broke   
the spell woven around the pair. "Great timing as always,   
imouto-chan." Nabiki glanced at Trunks one more time and winked.   
"I do, and I will." She turned away from the half Saiya-jiin and   
followed her sister into the other room. 

Ranma came around the corner, and caught Nabiki's last   
sentence. "She does and she will what?" He gave Trunks a confused   
glance. 

Trunks just stared after Nabiki's retreating form and   
growled under his breath. _"Ibiru."_ He turned to Ranma, flustered.   
"Um...something upstairs, I guess, Serori-ojisan." He shrugged his   
shoulders and quickly walked outside, leaving the confused Saiya-jiin   
alone. 

Ranma blinked a few times and shook his head. "Kids these   
days." He moved into the living room, where everyone else had   
gathered around the TV set. "What's on TV?" He sat down next to   
Akane. 

"Shush! CNN is on." She shushed him, and pointed to the   
screen. 

The bottom of the screen read that the feed was coming   
from the United Kingdom. "_This is Katie Telline coming to you live_   
_from Brockinshire, Wales, where a strange attack has been reported_   
_by the local police officers. Around 11:00 AM local time, a group_   
_of..." _ she checked her papers again, her eyes wide in disbelief, but   
continued to read. _"A group of giant...bees...attacked downtown_   
_Brockinshire. Eyewitnesses stated that the giant...bees flew down_   
_from the sky. They're over six feet in height, with wings, antennae,_   
_and black and white stripes."_

The screen switched to the local CNN news anchor, Hiiro   
Taki. _"Telline-san, how did these bee creatures attack the locals?"_

Katie Telline looked back at her papers. _ "It says here that_   
_the area was bathed in a green color, and the people stuck within_   
_were unable to move, but the bee creatures could. They removed_   
_circular plates from their arms and legs, and attached them to the_   
_people caught in the beam. The attacked people then began to..."_   
Katie's eyes went wide as she covered her mouth. 

Taki's voice from off-camera was tense. _"Telline-san, please._   
_What happened next?"_

Katie regained her composure, and continued. You could tell   
she was about ready to cry, or be sick. _ "The attacked people then_   
_began to scream...bloody murder, and...new arms and legs...sprouted_   
_from their elongating bodies. Antennae...grew from their heads._   
_The people were changing into the bee creatures..." _ Katie turned   
away from the camera, and retching sounds could be heard in the   
background. 

Taki held his composure well when the camera came back to   
him. _"Arigatou, Telline-san. To recap from Wales, a report came in_   
_saying that giant bee-like creatures..."_ He glanced off camera, his   
eyes wide. _"We have breaking news from Russia. Reporting now is_   
_Slibinov Turiat."_

A man bundled up in thick clothes stood in next to a skinny   
teenager. _"This is Turiat Slibinov reporting from Moscow. Here_   
_with me is Xurina Strotovich, an eyewitness to what we are now_   
_seriously considering as an invasion from outer space. Xurina, what_   
_did you see?"_

The girl leaned into the microphone. _"I was walking down the_   
_street and all of a sudden these monsters came from out of the sky,_   
_shooting green light at people. It seemed like it was coming out of_   
_their heads."_ Xurina started to breath heavily, her eyes becoming   
wild as she retold what she saw. _"The people would start screaming_   
_but wouldn't run away. The monsters then put a metal disc on, and_   
_then..."_ Xurina broke down into hysterics, bawling her eyes out. 

Turiat placed a calming hand on her shoulder. _"What_   
_happened, child?"_

Xurina sucked in her sobs. _"The...the people...were_   
_screaming...they started to to to...mutate...like an...an...evil horror_   
_movie. They grew new legs and arms."_

Turiat stared at the girl, who was sobbing uncontrollably.   
_"How did you see this, Xurina?"_

_ "I...I was with my friend Tella...and she ran across the_   
_street...to help....I ran into a st..store and watched as...as...she..."_

Turiat pulled Xurina into his chest, muffling her cries. _"Turn_   
_the damn camera off, Peto!"_

The screen switched back to Taki, whose face was set in a   
grim line. _ "While we were live from Moscow, CNN has received calls_   
_from several other areas, one in the United States, one in South_   
_America, and one in South Africa, where the giant bee creatures_   
_have been sited. There were eyewitness reports from each area,_   
_and all say the same thing. Giant bee-creatures would attack anyone_   
_they saw, and then the victims would mutate into the bee creatures_   
_themselves. As of right now, the missing is over one hundred." _ He   
glanced off camera for a second, talking to someone. _ "Reports are_   
_now coming in Kyoto. Over thirty people are reported missing from_   
_an office building in the Torasaki district."_

Ranma took that moment to turn the TV off. He glanced   
around, and saw that Goku, Gohan and Tobuma had returned from   
patrol, and saw the broadcast. Trunks was next to Tobuma, and   
both wore a look of grim hate lined on their chiseled features.   
Vejiita stood in one corner, with Bulma tucked into a shoulder. The   
Prince glanced down at Akane, then back up at him. Ranma nodded.   
He took inventory of the room, noting the variety of expressions on   
their faces. Most were in varied states of shock. 'I wish Ryouga   
was here...we could use the extra manpower. And Goku will have to   
go get Kuririn-san, and Piccolo-san. They'd want to be here, as well.' 

Ranma stared at Akane for a moment, knowing what her   
position could end up being in a few months if everything went   
completely wrong. He will not let that happen. He would rather die   
than let that happen to her. His unborn child will not go through the   
same hell as the one that stood before him today. 

With a final glance around the room, he sucked in and released a cleansing   
breath. "Well, minna, it's started."   



	27. ARC 3: The Fight for Chikyuu

**A Tail To Remember**   
**by Gie (phowahcs.com)**   
  


**A Tail To Remember**   
**Arc Three, Chapter Twenty-Six: The Fight for Chikyuu**   
****

A month had past since the first attack of the Hachi, which   
became known to the general population of Chikyuu as 'The End of   
the World'. Some experts wrote it all off as a bunch of hoked-up   
nonsense, but when the total came out from that first day, 437   
missing, 'nonsense' was a theory many found horribly hard to swallow.   
Especially to the family, friends, and witnesses of the day's loss. 

At first, rumors quickly spread like wildfire, from 'aliens   
attacking' to 'scientific experiments gone awry' sprung from the tip   
of many a journalist's pen, when they tried to explain a way to define   
the elusive 'bee creatures'. Others believed that the national   
governments of certain countries were creating 'super soldiers',   
mutating normal people to do their dirty work. The Hachi were   
collectively called 'The Giant Bee Threat,' which was rather ironic,   
for that was what 'Hachi' meant. Still, others thought that the end   
of the world was at hand, and God Himself was royally pissed,   
sending His demonic forces down to take His glorious wrath out on   
all evildoers, turning them into demons themselves, and only His true   
believers would be spared. 

Of course, the Hachi were not an act of God--they acted on   
their own, not led on by another being--only the drive to perpetuate   
their species in the only way they knew how. 

But the Chikyuu-jiin didn't know how close they were with the   
prediction of 'The End of the World.' 

Capsule Corp   
  


** pssht**

"Ellie Mary Travers, come on down! You're the" 

** pssht**

"So clean, it'll blind ya!" 

"Really, Charlie? Gosh, that's some clean!" 

"You bet! And for only $19.99 you'll get" 

** pssht**

"Samantha, when are you going to tell him about the boy?" 

"Oscar already knows--that's why he left for the Orient." 

** pssht**

"Oh, sugah, you say the sweetest things! heeheehee!" 

"Twernt any problem, mam. Now if you would hear from them   
varmints again, you just give me a holler, ya hear? It's all part of   
being shariff of these here parts." 

** pssht**

"Are you going to actually watch something, Trunks-kun? Or   
am I going to haveta 'wrassle ya for the ree-mote'?" 

Trunks rolled his eyes at his cousin, who was sitting next to   
him, cleaning his sword. "I would if there was anything good on. It's   
all soaps and cheesy westerns at this time of the day." 

"You're supposed to be watching the news for a sign of the   
next attack." 

The purple-haired male snorted, and pointed the remote at   
the TV again. "I tell you, Tobu-kun, we should be out there looking   
for the nest, not sitting here waiting for them to show their ugly   
faces to news cameras." 

"I know, I know. But you know as well as I that this is the   
best way we can get a handle on them. We've searched for the nest,   
and they attack so randomly and erratically that there's no definite   
pattern to try and figure out the next hit." Tobuma stared at the   
flickering images of some brightly-colored children's show and   
snatched the remote from his cousin's hands. "Stop it! I'm getting   
dizzy." 

"Hey, that's mine! I was watching it! And you're already   
dizzy in the head." 

"Shut up." Tobuma frowned and turned on CNN, laying the   
remote down on the far side of him. 

A group of panelists were discussing the hot topic of the   
month--the Hachi attacks--although they were focusing on the most   
recent attack--one week ago in the Midwestern United States. 

There were five people altogether, including the host, Tim   
Bronkshaw. He was talking with the first panelist, the Chief of   
Police in the largest town hit. 

**Tim**: So tell us, Chief Talboo, what measures have been set up to   
deal with last week's attack. 

**Chief**: Sure, Tim. Well, we've activated a local Army Reserve unit to   
help with clean up, and the hospitals are full with the injured.   
Schools have been closed and we've set up a hotline to have people   
call in if they have a family member missing, or to talk with grief   
counselors about their losses. Although, we have to be grateful.   
The losses weren't that heavy, compared to other times the things   
attacked. Damage wasn't too bad, and the missing count is just over   
a hundred on this run. It could have been worse if it was a heavier   
location, and during rush hour. 

Cella Thorougood, President of the PTA chapter, a 40ish woman with   
graying hair, sputtered: What do you consider 'heavy,' Chief? Two   
hundred, one thousand? What's the 'grand total' now? 

**Chief**: (Looks down, cowed) Just over five thousand are MIA, ma'am. 

**Cella**: (shaking her head) One life is too many, Chief. How long until   
we're all 'missing in action?' 

Trunks snorted. "Bossy bitch." Tobuma jabbed him with a   
hard elbow. 

"That's not very nice, Trunks." Both males looked up to see   
Ranma leaning against the back of their couch. 

"Yo, Otousan," Tobuma greeted him. 

"Tobuma," he nodded back. "What are you two watching?" 

"CNN. They have a panel for last week's attack." 

Ranma walked over to a chair, falling into it with a sound thud.   
He stared at the screen where Cella and the third panelist, a   
scientist, were arguing back and forth. "Noisy bitch is more like it."   
he murmured. Trunks snickered. "You two were the ones that broke   
it up, ne?" 

Tobuma nodded. "Hai. Bulma-obaasan was monitoring the   
news reports and let us know, since we were out on patrol at the   
time. About ten Hachi made the attack, but the number was up to   
over fifty by the time we got there." A frown flashed across his   
handsome features as he remembered what transpired. "That's the   
worst part of this war crap--not getting there in time." 

Ranma let out a sigh in agreement. "It's hard to deal with it,   
but they give us no warning on where they attack! It's so damn   
frustrating that we need to rely on the news," he gestured to the   
large television, "to even get a generalized area. It bites that they   
have no ki to lock on--or any kind of energy signature that would   
indicate any activity. The only real thing that we can focus on is the   
flared ki of the Chikyuu-jiin being attacked. And that's minuscule in   
itself." He let an other exasperated sigh hiss through his clenched   
teeth, and he rubbed a fist against his forehead. "Well, I vented   
for the day." 

Both Trunks and Tobuma chuckled. "No more sugar for you,   
Ojisan." Trunks grinned at his uncle. 

Tobuma wrapped his sword and standing up, placed it behind   
him in his sub-space pocket for safekeeping. "The ideal thing to   
have would be something like a radar...like the dragon radar, to be   
able to pinpoint when they are attacking, or where their damned   
nest is." He sat back down again, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"It would be ideal," Ranma mused. He turned to his nephew.   
"Did your Okaasan try to do some sort of device like that? In your   
time?" 

Trunks shrugged. "I don't know. Not that I can recall. But   
we knew where they were--they didn't try hiding the Hive once it   
was built. There was no need for them to." He was silent for a   
moment, thinking. "If we were to create a radar of some sort, the   
hardest thing would be to figure out what we could focus on to track   
them. They have no ki." 

"Well, the Dragonballs don't have a ki either, ne?" Ranma   
pointed out. "What did Bulma use to create the radar, then?" 

"When they're active, they give off a unique low   
electro-magnetic pulse. She didn't know of anything else that used   
that frequency, so she was able to fairly easily make the radar to   
home in on them specifically." Trunks explained. His eyes widened   
slightly. "Do you think that the Hachi also have some sort of pulse   
reading?" 

Ranma shook his head. "I wouldn't know. Bulma would be the   
one to ask that." 

"But how will we be able to find the wavelength, if there is   
one, mind you?" Tobuma asked. "It's not like we can capture a Hachi   
and bring it back to Capsule Corp." 

"Why not?" Ranma blinked a few times. "It's not like we   
couldn't stop ourselves from destroying one." 

Trunks shook his head vehemently. "Iie. They have a hive   
mind, Ojisan. It'd communicate back to the others what happened,   
and then we'd have the entire swarm on us within moments." 

"Well, we just don't take it alive, then. Bulma can dissect it   
and get what she needs that way." 

"That won't work, either," Tobuma also shook his head. "If   
we were to find a pulse or signal of some sort, the Drone would have   
to be alive, ne? Otherwise, well, it'd be dead." 

"But..." 

Both future Saiya-jiin shook their heads again. "It was a   
good thought, Otousan, but it'd never work. Too many things could   
go wrong." 

Ranma growled under his breath, leveling a glare worthy of   
Vejiita at both of them. "Fine. Be that way. I try to help, but   
nooooo...." The other two males just chuckled. 

Tobuma nudged Trunks and pointed back to the screen. "Hey,   
they're talking about us." 

**Cella:** What I want to know, Chief Talboo, is who are those glowing   
people that swoop in and kill these...things... 

**Chief**: (scratches his head) Well, so would I, Miss Thorougood.   
They are not part of any sanctioned law branch that I know. 

**Tim**: Tell us of these...vigilantes...Chief Talboo. 

Ranma let out a snort. "Vigilantes, my tail. If we didn't do something   
about the Hachi, then this world would have been in a much worse   
condition than it all ready is. The missing count would be a thousand   
more times staggering." 

**Scientist**: This would be more of my expertise area, Tim. Like   
the Chief said, there is not much known about them. The only   
information that I have, personally, is what is said from eye witness   
accounts. Usually, the Giant Bees had been attack a specific area   
for a while, but then all of a sudden these people just literally fly in,   
without planes or air cars, mind you, actually fly. Some say that   
they fizzle right out the air. But anyway, they fly in and start   
attacking them, usually with fists and swords, and when the Giant   
Bees are injured, they shoot a light at them, more than likely a high   
powered hand laser of some kind, disintegrating them. 

**Chief**: (nodding) That's what I have, too. These guys come flyin' in   
and beat the Big Bees up. No one knows who they are, or who they   
work for. They don't stick around long enough at the end of the   
fights to answer any questions. 

"Can you blame us?" Trunks shook his head at the TV. "We'd   
end up being examined, or deported, or something." 

"Or end up on trashy talk shows," Tobuma added. The fifth   
member of the panel, a small 30-ish woman named Sonnie Wisemore   
finally broke her silence and spoke: 

**Sonnie**: I saw one of them kill my Billy. 

The other four panelists turned to the once quiet woman, her   
face covered by thick dark hair that hung in clumps around her   
swollen features. 

**Tim:** Please, continue with your side, Ms. Wisemore. 

**Sonnie:** Me and my husband, Billy, were walking in the park with our   
Lab, Sage, and all of a sudden the big bee things came swooping   
down. Billy pushed me out of the way, and I lost my grip on Sage's   
leash. I fell behind a park bench, and Sage ran away. But Billy   
couldn't get away. That green light surrounded him and he couldn't   
move. (She swallowed and her hands clenched the arms of the chair   
she sat in.) I couldn't move either, because that green light was on me,   
too. But I watched, from under that bench, as one of the creatures   
put a piece of round metal on his chest. And I think I will always   
remember the way Billy screamed. It sounded like his heart was   
being ripped from right out of his chest. The green light went away   
and I could move again, but I couldn't because I was in shock, under   
that bench. I couldn't move for the life of me...or Billy... (She raised   
her head, and all could see her eyes were wide, but no identifiable   
expression covered her face.) I was still as he started to   
change...into one of those creatures. New insect legs spurted out of   
his contorting body. His hair fell off his head and feelers grew   
from the top. His skin color changed, darkening to black. The thing   
in front of me wasn't my Billy anymore; it wasn't the man I met in   
high school. It wasn't the father of my child. (She ducked her head   
again, laying a hand on her stomach.) 

**Cella:** There, there, child. (She put a comforting hand on the   
younger woman.) It's okay. 

**Sonnie:** No, it's not. (she looked up again, and now you could see the   
grief and pain written clearly on her features as she clutched at the   
arm of Cella.) You don't know what happened! You didn't see it! You   
didn't watch as your husband dissolved into ashes before you! 

Ranma blinked and shook his head. "Woah." 

"Damn," Trunks scowled at the TV, "she's gonna start   
describing it, ne?" 

"More than likely. Chikyuu-jiin are rather open with their   
emotions and experiences when they want to be." The three turned   
to see a frowning Vejiita in the doorway. 

**Sonnie:** One of those vigilantes came down and used a sword to cut   
off Billy's head, then shot one of those hand lasers at him. (She was   
quiet for a moment. Tim was about to speak up again, but Sonnie   
started speaking once more.) And what was left of the man I loved   
floated away in the breeze that the person with the spiky yellow   
hair created when he turned away to kill another. (She finally broke   
down into heart-wrenching sobs.) 

"Which one of you went Super Saiya-jiin?" Ranma asked. 

Tobuma frowned. "I did. I had five of them advancing on me,   
and one was about to throw a paralysis beam. I don't remember a   
bench, but I wasn't paying much attention to the scenery, either." 

"Are you done in the gravity room?" Trunks inquired to his   
father. 

"Not yet, brat." Vejiita turned to Ranma. "When are the   
females due back?" 

He glanced at the clock. "Akane said they'd be back around   
supper time, so in a few hours." 

Vejiita just grunted in acknowledgment. He leveled a dark   
glare at Trunks. "Come, brat. You deserve a beating." 

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Otousan." He slowly   
pushed himself off the couch, earning a helpful shove from Tobuma.   
"You just want to pound on me." 

"That too. Now stop whining like a damn child." The pair left   
for the gravity chamber. 

Tobuma sighed and turned back to the TV. He gave the   
sobbing Sonnie a scowl and turned back to his father. "So what are   
you doing this afternoon?" 

He shrugged. "Nothing too exciting. Akane gave me the duty   
to clean out my closet of all the clothes that don't fit me anymore,   
so she can have something to wear when she starts to get bigger.   
But other than that nothing until she gets back from Nerima with   
the other girls." 

"What are they doing there?" he wondered. "Okaasan said   
something about aerobics?" 

Ranma stuck out his tongue. "Your mother is weird, that's all   
I have to say." At Tobuma's confused look he explained further.   
"She thinks that since I've 'forced' her to stop training, she needs to   
do...something...to keep herself fit. So she's started a class at the   
dojo in aerobics. Although no one will be able to keep up with her,   
since she still has full access to all of her strength and flexibility."   
He rolled his eyes at the antics of his mate. "Kami knows how that   
thought got into her head. She's barely showing as it is. Keeps her   
busy, I guess." 

"I guess," Tobuma agreed. "Although I can see why Okaasan   
would want to do something like that. She has all that pent-up   
energy, and with no outlet to release it." Ranma gave Tobuma a   
wicked grin. "Except for _that_ outlet, but I really don't want to think   
of you and her doing that. You _are_ my parents." Tobuma shuddered   
as he picked up the remote to flip through the channels again, but   
was stopped when the chunk of black plastic was yanked from his   
hand. "Hey!" 

Ranma grinned cheekily and flipped it back to the latest   
Jackie Chan movie. "I haven't seen this one yet." 

"Oh, this one." Tobuma slouched farther down on the couch. 

"Don't tell me what happens!" 

"You know, I'm supposed to be watching for any signs of   
Hachi attack, Otousan." Tobuma rolled his eyes impatiently. "The   
TV in your rooms works just as well as this one." 

"Uh huh," Ranma grunted at the screen. "Ooh, nice combo." 

"Otousan..." 

"Fine, Tobuma! You know, you're just as much fun to watch   
TV with as Akane when she wants something." Ranma scowled at   
him, tossing the remote into the tri-colored male's lap and stomped   
out of the room. 

Tobuma blinked a few times and a small smile curled at the   
corners of his mouth. "Still works like a charm..." He put CNN on   
picture/picture and focused back on the Jackie Chan movie.   
"Oooh...now get him with a...oh yeah..." 

Nerima, Tendo Dojo 

In the weathered walls of the dojo, nine females bounced,   
kicked, and sweated along to the driving beat of the hard, thumping   
music that broadcast through the speaker system. 

"Okay, now get those legs in the air, ladies! One and two and   
three! Keep kicking! Switch legs! One and two and three! Come on,   
Bulma-chan, higher! Now side crunches to the beat! One-two,   
one-two! Keep it going...feel it burn in your thighs! And switch!" 

Akane scanned with an amused smirk the flushed faces of the   
eight other females pushing themselves to their limits. _ Should have_   
_started this a long time ago. I'm barely breaking a sweat and_   
_breathing hard, but they're about ready to die._

The music came to a halt and Akane stopped the heavy   
aerobics, but continued to jog in place. "You're doing wonderful,   
girls! Who wants to keep going?" 

All eight voices made a unanimous grunt as they all fell to the   
floor in one large heap of sweat. 

"Nani? But we've only just started!" She shook her head as   
she received a few pointed middle fingers in her direction. 

"Seiika-chan, we don't have your 'train-until-you-die'   
Saiya-jiin constitution, ne?" Bulma gasped as she panted on the   
floor. 

"We have been going straight for two hours, Akane-chan,"   
Kasumi reminded her, wiping her glistening face. "And this is only   
the 2nd time we've done this. Our bodies haven't developed a high   
endurance to such activities yet." 

"Fine, fine," she waved them off. "How about we have a   
fifteen minute break and whoever wants to keep going can...keep   
going." She shrugged and walked out. "I'll go get the water jugs   
from the kitchen." 

"We're going to take off, Akane-chan," Yuka spoke up.   
"Sayuri has a class in an hour and I need to get ready for work." 

She waved over her shoulder to the retreating girls. "Okay!   
See you next week!" 

Ukyou sat up, wiping her face with a towel. "Where does she   
come up with all that energy?" 

Bulma shrugged, her shoulders not moving much from her   
sprawled position on the mat. "Who knows? Maybe her tail   
generates it." She slowly stood up and leaned back, audibly cracking   
her back. "Ooohh...that felt good." 

Akane came back into the dojo, laden with several water   
bottles in each arm, a large bowl of grapes, and her tail holding a   
bottle as well. She handed them out, and drank from the one her   
tail held. "Here you go, ladies. Drink up." 

"Arigatou, Seiika-chan," Chi Chi smiled at the younger   
female. "So how are you and the baby doing?" 

"Fine, I guess," she smiled back and sat down on the mat next   
to Bulma. "Although my hunger pains have started to kick in. I can't   
stop eating--and I thought I ate a lot before." She devoured the   
grapes in the bowl as an example. 

"You aren't the only one, Seiika-chan. Vejiita almost choked   
the other day because I ate just as much as he did." Bulma stole a   
vine out from under Akane's searching hand. 

"Since the gestation is different, Akane-chan, how far along   
are you?" Nodoka asked from her spot on the floor, where she was   
stretching her muscles out. She was still fairly flushed from the   
workout, but she held her own against the younger females. 

"Well, we're nearing the end of month two, so it's about the   
end of the first trimester." Bulma explained. "Actually, we have a   
doctor's appointment tomorrow, in the Capital." 

Ukyou stared hard at the busily-eating Akane. "You're   
starting to show, Akane." 

The female Saiya-jiin blinked a few times and blushed,   
putting a hand to the slight bulge of her lower stomach. "I know.   
This is the one part of the pregnancy I was dreading." She caressed   
the small bump affectionately. 

Bulma nodded in agreement. "Hai, but it's a perfect excuse to   
go shopping for more clothes!" The other girls laughed. 

"Have you gotten morning sickness, Akane-chan?" Kasumi   
asked concernedly. 

"Iie. I've actually haven't been sick, yet. I don't think it's   
going to happen, either. I feel fine in the mornings." 

"Speak for yourself, Seiika," Bulma stuck out her tongue.   
"I've been tossing up my spleen every morning. Thankfully, Vejiita's   
usually out of the room by the time I'm in the bathroom, otherwise   
he'd be complaining from hell to high heaven." 

"I had horrible morning sickness with Gohan-chan as well,   
Bulma-chan," ChiChi commented. "Goku wouldn't come near me for   
over an hour after I was done, thinking he would catch what I was   
'sick' from, and earn a trip to the doctor's office." 

"Did you have any unusual cravings?" Bulma asked, munching   
on grapes. 

ChiChi shook her head. "Iie, only food. And lots of it.   
Actually, if you want to call it strange, I ate a lot of meat.   
Sometimes Goku-saa had to kill several deer a day to keep both of   
us fed." 

Akane made a pleasured murmuring sound. "Mmm...deer...That   
actually sounds really good. I think I'll have Ranma go hunting   
tonight." 

"Ewww!" Ukyou made a face. "How can you eat venison?" 

She smacked her lips. "Easily. The bloodier the better, too.   
It tastes the best right after the kill, when the flesh is still warm   
from the heat of the body and the blood hasn't coagulated." She   
grinned and licked her lips again. "Maybe I'll join him on the hunt." 

"Ack! Akane!" Several of the females made disgusted faces.   
"That's just gross!" 

"Actually, it sounds pretty good," Bulma agreed. She flashed   
Akane a grin and stood up. "I think I'm done for the day,   
Seiika-chan. I don't think my butt can be crunched any more. Is the   
furo open?" 

"It should be. There are towels in the closet right outside   
the door. Make sure you put out the 'occupied' sign." 

Bulma nodded and waved to the others. "Have fun!" As she   
went down the hallway to the residential part of the property, she   
heard the music kick back in and a very loud Akane whooping to a   
fast-paced country song. "Boy am I glad I got out of there! She is   
so hyper today." 

She couldn't help but smile at the thought of the much-   
younger in appearance but chronically-older than she female. Seiika   
was a blast to be around, much more social and outgoing than any of   
her collegues she considered her friends. A complete opposite of   
her anti-social twin brother. More than likely the influence of her   
Chikyuu upbringing. 

And she was a very interesting person to talk to, as well. She   
might not be on the same level of intelligence as she, but whenever   
she speaks, she speaks truthfully, and with her heart for whatever   
she believes in. And Bulma considered that to be a more desirable   
trait than the level of intelligence. Just look at her best friend and   
brother in everything but blood, Son Goku... 

She entered the large furo, making sure to place the   
'occupied' sign in clear vision of anyone who would enter. She quickly   
stripped off the sweaty workout clothes, and scrubbed herelf clean.   
Sliding into the steaming water of the tub, she let a hiss escape as   
she felt the hot water ease into her tired muscles, working out the   
knots gained from the vigorous, active workout. 

She closed her eyes and relaxed, letting the always-present   
tickle in the back of her mind, that of Vejiita and their Link, come   
forward. She felt out the emotional state of her mate that he   
allowed to pass through their Bond. Normally, she was an open book   
to him, but he continuously kept a tight rein on his emotions. He   
said that it was because of his training--if he let the walls down, she   
would feel the affects of the intensity. When she asked if she   
should put up her own walls and block, he snorted at her, saying   
something to the effect of nothing to block out except for her   
constant whining. 

But she thought it was because of his privacy. Bulma found   
out quickly, through the time he lived with her before Seiika   
reappeared in his life, Vejiita was a very private man...well, male. He   
didn't like to be referred to with the human term, 'man', since it was   
a reference to 'human.' She smirked, remembering the lecture he   
gave her after a very involved argument about the finer points of   
human males, knowing that any comparison of male Chikyuu-jiin   
to him would set his temper off immediately. But she didn't mind,   
since he really wasn't an average 'man.' She had that with Yamucha. 

But the fact remained that he usually kept to himself. He   
had his moments, sure, when he would let down the barriers he'd   
constructed over the years, but the Saiya-jiin no Ouji was a soul   
that liked to be alone. He didn't really ask for much attention--only   
when his gravity chamber broke down or the occasional meal. He   
could fare for himself in the food department, since all he had to do   
was push a few buttons. Although, that was one thing that intrigued   
him to her. Not the ability to press buttons, but his ease to   
adapting to any situation thrown to him, all without blinking an eye.   
Being a senshi in Friezer's army would do that, she supposed, if one   
wanted to live for the next day. 

So as she probed the Link, trying to squeeze past the   
barriers he had placed, she found to her surprise, that the walls   
were fairly easy to surpass. Smirking slightly as she sank lower in   
the water, so only her nose and above were visible, she spoke to her   
occupied mate: _ Watcha doin', Otoko?_

The dark tickle stirred slightly and she could picture in her   
mind's eye his black gaze as it focused on her. _ What do you want,_   
_Onna?_

_ Nothing much, just wondering what you were doing._

_ For your information, I am in the GR beating the hell out of_   
_the brat._

_ Oooh, how fun, at least for you, that is. _ Bulma blew out a   
breath, making bubbles form in the warm water. _Is Trunks-chan_   
_enjoying himself as well?_

_ Doesn't matter. Are you still with Seiika?_

_ Hai. Although she's still torturing the other girls. I'm_   
_relaxing in the furo._

Bulma shivered from head to toe as a fleeting sensation   
swept her. _Che. You should be in with the others. Work off that_   
_flabby ass of yours._ His tone held a hint of amusement. 

Although, Bulma didn't catch it. _Flabby? I'll tell you,_   
_Muscle-for-Brains, that you can bounce a coin off my ass cheeks!_   
She huffed into the water again, spraying droplets across the   
surface. 

_ I'll just have to test that then, won't I?_ Another shiver   
tickled her spine as she felt the dark tickle skim through her mind,   
and soon images popped into memory recall, rather vivid images of   
just how he could prove her claim. A chuckle floated through her   
thoughts. _When are you coming back?_

_ Whenever Seiika-chan wants to. _ She let a small moan   
escape as more visions sprung to life. _Maybe I can convince her to_   
_come back earlier...nani?_

Vejiita, back in the gravity chamber at Capsule Corp, pulled   
away from the spar with Trunks when Bulma trailed off her   
thoughts. He furrowed his thick eyebrows and stared hard at the   
floor. _Onna, what is it?_

Trunks blinked a few times when Vejiita backed away.   
Midway through their spar he noticed his father get a glossy sheen   
to his eyes, which meant he was talking telepathically to someone,   
more than likely his mother. "Otousan? Is something wrong?" 

"Quiet, brat," Vejiita hissed. He closed his eyes and floated   
back down to the ground, concentrating on the flicker he knew to be   
his mate's presence in his mind. She hadn't responded back yet.   
_Onna, what is going on?_

_ Gomen, Vejiita, I just got startled when I heard the door_   
_open, but no one answered me._

_ Weak Onna._ Bulma snorted and a chuckle echoed through   
her head. _ Next time put out the occupied sign._

_ Ha ha. I thought I did. Oh well. Nani? Who's there?_

_ Now what, Onna? I thought you said there was no one_   
_there?_

She was quiet for a moment. _There wasn't, but all of a_   
_sudden the inner door opened and this small, black piglet came_   
_through, pulling a large backpack. I guess, well, I really don't know_   
_why he's doing it, either... The bag looks really heavy, and the piglet_   
_seems to be pulling rather easily. Cute thing, though. It has a_   
_yellow bandana around its neck, so it must be one of the girls' pet._

_ I really don't care about the dressing habits of snacks,_   
_Onna._

Trunks cleared his throat. "What's going on? Is something   
wrong?" 

Vejiita opened his eyes to see the worried expression on his   
future spawn's face. "Nothing is wrong. The Onna just got startled   
by some little pig pulling a backpack in the bathroom." 

Trunks blinked a few times. "Oh, okay. Are we going to   
continue?" 

"What do you think?" Both fell into identical stances and   
attacked each other simultaneously. 

_ He's on the edge of the tub now. I don't think he sees me._   
_Friendly little thing._

_ Are you going to bathe with the animal?_

_ I've bathed with you._

_ You're in rare form, baka Onna._

Trunks suddenly stopped and earned a kick in his stomach for   
his inattention. He groaned and gasped out, throwing a glare at   
Vejiita. "Did she say a little pig? Does it have a yellow bandana   
around its neck?" 

Vejiita narrowed his eyes. "How did you know?" 

"Crap," Trunks swore, "That's..." 

_Aaaiieeee!!!_

"Onna!" Vejiita yelled out, surprising Trunks. _What's_   
_wrong?_

_ HENTAI!_ **crack**   
  


A Few Minutes Prior, Tendo backyard 

_ Always, no matter how long I travel, or what direction I go,_   
_or my final destination, I always end up here, at the dojo. _ The   
frustrated Ryouga shook himself dry, his flappy piglet ears slapping   
against his head. He turned behind him to grab his clothing and   
backpack. _And always as the pig. No matter what I do, it seems I_   
_can never be truly happy. I am reminded of how my life is one big joke_   
_of the Kami. But what is true happiness? 'One man's pain is another_   
_man's pleasure'--isn't that how the saying goes? Right, my pain, and_   
_Ranma's pleasure!_

He found the hole under the fence that seemed to always be   
there, and pulled his backpack through with only a small struggle.   
After a few good tugs, it came free and he made his way up to the   
porch. 

He had pulled the pack up to the sliding door and he nosed   
the door open a crack when it was pushed all the way open for him.   
He spilled in from lack of support, pulling his cargo with him. "Hello,   
little one!" Ryouga glanced up to see the smiling face of Ranma's   
mother, clad in a pair of tight spandex shorts and shirt. A clinging,   
wet, white, t-shirt. He bent his head quickly in embarrassment. 

Nodoka blinked at the small animal and his 'equipment.' "I'll let   
Akane-chan know you made it back in time to see her, P-chan." 

_Akane's here? _ Ryouga dropped his pack from his mouth in   
surprise. He let out a squeal and repicked up his load, pulling it with   
renewed vigor down the hall. 

The elder woman smiled and watched him go. "I swear he   
understood me! Akane will have to remember to bring him back with   
her when she and Bulma leave tonight." She nodded and turned back   
to the dojo. 

_ Akane's here! I haven't seen her for several months! Not_   
_since...that day...when she and Ranma..._ His little piggy mouth turned   
down in a frown as he remembered the events of that day. He had   
been trying to forget them, passing them off as a strange and   
horrifying nightmare. _They can't be aliens...can they? But it seemed_   
_all so real..._

The small piglet stopped when he realized he was in front of   
the bathroom. _Oh, heavenly day! The Kami are smiling on me. _He   
pushed at the heavy door, easily opening it and pulled his pack within.   
_I've missed you so much, Akane. I thought about you each and every_   
_step of the way on my training journey. Your warm brown eyes, wide_   
_with happiness. Your beautiful mouth, curled in a glorious smile, just_   
_for me. I hope that the cur Ranma hasn't soiled your gentle and_   
_pure soul._

Ryouga ignored the pile of clothes, and the call of the   
unfamiliar voice as he concentrated on the female he sorely missed.   
He also did not take note of the clearly marked 'occupied' sign, as   
well. 

He jumped up and onto the edge of the furo. _ For you,_   
_Akane-chan, I will defeat that bakayaro that plagues your happiness._   
_I have been training hard and long these past months and my_   
_pursuits for supremacy over that mongrel Ranma have not been in_   
_vain! I will be a true man for you, Akane-chan, you can count on that!_   
And he jumped into the water. 

But if Ryouga had been paying attention to his surroundings   
when he climbed onto the edge of the steaming furo, instead of   
cursing Ranma inside and out, he would have noticed a certain   
blue-haired genius staring at him in a particular manner. 

But he didn't. 

And when the shrill screams pierced his thoughts as he broke   
through the surface of the water in his original human male form,   
Ryouga became aware of the occupied status of the furo. 

Unfortunately a little too late. 

"Hentai!!" Bulma screamed and lashed out a foot, catching   
Ryouga squarely in the jaw. 

Normally, the young marial artist wouldn't have felt such a   
blow, and would have shrugged off such a pitiful attempt to hurt   
him. But due to the fact that he didn't expect a foot to be in the   
water with him, he was completely and thoroughly surprised to find   
out about the owner of said appendage--a strange, unfamiliar,   
beautiful, naked, woman--had occupied the water, and he would have   
reacted accordingly. But Bulma's foot did the job and knocked   
Ryouga out of the tub. And as he went flying over the edge, he   
reached for a sturdy handhold to stop his decent onto the cold, hard   
floor. Although what he grabbed was the water nozzle, and as he   
fell, the water was turned on full blast--cold water. 

Which being the water magnet he was, changed him back into   
piglet form. 

"Hentai! Hentai!" Bulma blindly lashed out at the   
unidentified, young, naked male who had attempted to accost her.   
In her fright, she did not see the water turn him back into piglet   
form, so she was still screaming. Along with throwing any available   
object her hands could find. 

After a few moments of stark raving terror, Bulma calmed   
down enough to see that her molester was gone--but the piglet from   
earlier was back. She put one and one together, and came up with   
seven. "You!" she growled, "What are you?" 

The pig-human did not answer; he had passed out from blood   
loss when he saw Bulma's complete naked glory. 

She fumed furiously, staring at the unresponsive animal.   
Noticing that it was not going to answer, the blue-haired genius got   
out of the water quickly, wrapping a towel around herself, all the   
while not taking her eyes off the unmoving Ryouga. Ignoring her   
dripping state of dress, she roughly picked up her molester by the   
wet bandana and left the bath, marching down the hallways to get to   
the bottom of it all. 

She stomped into the dojo, where ChiChi, Akane, her sisters,   
and Ranma's mother were cleaning up the dojo after the workout had   
finished. "Seiika!" 

Akane whirled around, eyes wide. "Nani yo, Bulma? Why are   
you wet?" 

"Well, I didn't have time to stop and pat myself dry," Bulma   
spat as she made her way up to the younger female. "I was busy   
trying to fend myself off from shape-shifting perverts!" 

"What are you talking about... P-chan! Come to Mama! I've   
missed you so much!" Akane finally saw who/what Bulma held in her   
grasp. "You found P-chan!" 

"Oh, I was going to tell you, Akane-chan," Nodoka   
remembered, "I let him in. He was scratching at the back door." 

"P-chan?" Bulma blinked in surprise. "You named   
this...creature?" 

Akane nodded and took the small animal into her embrace,   
rubbing nose with her long lost pet. "Hai. He's my pet. I haven't   
seen him since...well...since the day Ranma and I got our tails back." 

Ryuouga had just awoken and was blissfully soaking up the   
attention Akane was lavishing on him. _I've dreadfully missed you,_   
_Akane. _ But his eyes went wide at her last sentence and he let out a   
squeal of surprise. _Tails?? Then it was not a dream...but a sick_   
_reality..._ Large tears silently flowed down his cheeks. 

"Seiika! How can you cradle such a disgusting thing!" Bulma   
stared at her in shock. "Does Serori know of this...P-chan...thing?"   
She turned her stare to the black animal in Akane's arms. 

"Disgusting? He's rather clean, at the moment, actually, but   
hai, Ranma does know about P-chan. Although they don't like each   
other much. Ranma is always picking on him or teasing him for some   
reason." She grinned at the small animal. "Right my little P-chan?   
Big bad Ranma isn't here to tease and torment you today!" 

"Seiika-chan," Bulma blinked a few times, realizing that her   
sister in law didn't know about her pet's shapeshifting abilities.   
"That is no pig, or pet. That is a man." 

Ryouga snapped his head around and let out a silent scream of   
horror. _Iie! She can not find out!_

The other females all stared at Bulma in surprise. "Nani?   
What are you saying, Bulma-chan?" ChiChi asked, shocked. She   
turned back to the small pig. "Like P'uar and Oolong?" 

She shook her head. "Iie, he changed with water." She pointed at   
Ryouga. "That...shapeshifter...came into my bath and started to   
molest me while I was talking with Vejiita." Her eyes shot open as   
she remembered. "Vejiita! Oh, Kami! I totally forgot I was talking   
with him." She closed her eyes and concentrated on the familiar   
tickle that was now a rampaging twister of Saiya-jiin. _ Vejiita!_   
_Calm down, I'm okay!_

_ Onna! What the fuck is gong on! How could you block me_   
_just now? Has that onore touched you?_

_ Who?_

_ The brat called the pig, Ryouga. He's Serori's rival._ She   
was overwhelmed by the waves of emotion that were washing over   
her as Vejiita relayed the information that Trunks had told him. 

_ Iie, he didn't touch me, although he startled me really_   
_bad...his name is..._ "Ryouga?" she said aloud, staring at the pig in   
Akane's arms. 

Akane looked around for her lost friend. "Ryouga-kun?   
Where is he?" 

"In your arms, Seiika," Bulma pointed to the hyperventilating   
pig. "Vejiita said that the pig is a guy named Ryouga, Serori's rival." 

"Ry--Ryouga?" Akane blinked down at the animal in her hands.   
"P-chan is..but how...why?" 

Bulma could tell Akane wasn't sure she was telling the truth,   
so she relayed what Vejiita said Trunks told him. She summed it all   
up with one word: "Jusenkyo." 

Akane gasped and dropped her once-beloved pet. Ryouga fell   
to the ground, not even bothering to brace himself or fall correctly.   
"Ju...Juu...but but I saw them together at the same time..didn't I?   
It can't be true..." She glanced from person to person, her   
expressions pleading for someone to tell her it was false. Her eyes   
settled on Nabiki. "Oneechan...onegai..." 

Her middle sister smiled apologetically. "Gomen nasai,   
imoutochan." 

"Iie...iie...I told P-chan everything! All my secrets...my   
fears..." She stared down at the unmoving animal. "Everything I   
thought and felt about Ranma." A tremble rippled through her   
frame as she closed her eyes, trying to control her raging emotions.   
She opened her black, black eyes, a visible storm raging in them as   
she calmly spoke. "Can someone get some water?" 

"Bwee!" 

She glanced down at the small animal and narrowed her eyes   
in anger. "You don't want me to get the water, do you? You know   
what's going to happen, don't you?" An angry red aura sprung to life   
around the visibly shaking Akane. "You don't want me to know! You   
want to keep me in the dark, laughing your ass off behind my back,   
don't you!" 

Kasumi had left to go get some water and when she returned,   
she saw the state Akane was in. She spoke quietly, her words   
urgent in their intensity. "Someone needs to call Ranma, now. I   
think Akane is about to lose control." ChiChi nodded and left the   
room quickly. Kasumi turned back to Akane and put a hand on her   
shoulder, wincing at the heat radiating off her little sister.   
"Akane-chan, I have the water. But you need to promise me that   
you'll think before you react. Remember, Akane-chan, Ryouga was   
your friend before this." 

"Friend? Friend!" Akane let out a sharp bark of laughter as   
she glared at her oldest sister, who had visibly paled at the pure   
fury radiating off the shorter female. "Does a friend take   
advantage of the confidentiality I placed in him? Does a friend use   
the information willingly given in trust to harm another?" 

ChiChi came back in the room. "I called Goku-saa, and he's   
going to teleport Serori here." She stared at Akane, her eyes wide   
in disbelief. "Seiika's ki levels are skyrocketing. I'm surprised she   
hasn't," a golden flash made ChiChi pause and let out a sharp hiss,   
"gone Super Saiya-jiin yet. That pig is about to become pork   
sausage." 

The smell of scorched wood filled the air as Akane's powerful   
aura burned at the wood under and around her. "Does a friend sleep   
curled in the other's chest!" She was positively livid. Bolts of ki   
were ricocheting off her as she panted in her rant. She snatched   
the bottle of water from her sister and evaporated half of it away   
with a lick of ki. "I'll show you a friend," she hissed as she poured   
the boiling water over the small pig. 

Akane's howl of rage covered the screams of pain as the   
boiling water blistered skin immediately as the once beloved and   
trusted pet of Akane morphed into the male known as Ryouga. A   
naked, blistering, trembling Ryouga. 

He had his arms crossed over himself as he laid curled in a   
ball on the floor, his head tucked to his chest as if waiting for the   
finishing blow. Akane obliged him, screaming as her hands lit the   
room with a bright glow as she gathered her ki. Her voice dropped   
to a dead pitch as everyone stared in silent terror at the power in   
front of them. "I trusted you, Hibiki Ryouga. I trusted you with my   
heart and you took that trust and used me. Used me against my own   
mate. For that offense, for treason against the Crown, I sentence   
you to death, Hibiki Ryouga...may Enma-daiou have mercy on your   
soul." She slammed her hands together and called out her finishing   
attack: 

"Catatonic Symphony!" 

"Iie! Akane!" 

The Dojo was silent as everyone was still in shock from   
witnessing the fury emitted from the Saiya-jiin no Oujo. Most of   
the people in the room were used to her anger...but never at this   
scale, and that magnitude. All eyes were trained to the trio in the   
middle of the room. 

Akane glared hatefully into the aquamarine eyes of her mate   
and future son, each holding one of her arms straight up in the air.   
Arms that pointed to the non-existant roof that, well, doesn't exist   
any longer. "Let me go." 

"You don't want to have his death on your conscience, Akane.   
You are not a murderer." 

Her eyes narrowed. "Did you know?" 

The mated pair stared at each other in silence for several   
minutes. The entire dojo felt the tension build in the room each   
second Ranma did not respond. The only sound was the crackling of   
their auras. Akane quietly repeated her question. "Did you know,   
Serori?" 

Ranma blinked at the use of his Saiya-jiin name. She never   
used his birth name. "Akane..." he swallowed. 

Her aura flared as her anger roared once again. "DID YOU   
KNOW! Answer me!" 

"Hai." 

_"Traitor!"_ she hissed, pulling her arms out of his and   
Tobuma's grasp, backing up and away from them. The look in her   
eyes was murderous. "Traitor! Where is your sense of honor? Your   
giri!" She charged up her ki again. "Letting me believe that P-chan   
was ... P-chan!" 

Ranma flinched and hung his head. "I had to, Akane," his   
voice was soft. "Ryouga was cursed because of me and Oyaji, and I   
promised him not to say anything. But then you went and made him   
your pet, and I tried so many fucking times, Akane!" He pointed a   
trembling finger at the still cowering Ryouga. His voice was at   
normal pitch, but growing louder as he got more and more   
frustrated. "How many times have I called him 'P-chan' or 'Pig-boy'?   
Pointed out that both him and P-chan have the same lousy sense of   
direction? How many times did I chase P-chan around the house   
with hot water? They wear the same god damned bandana, Akane!" 

Akane blinked a few times, her ki dissipating as Ranma's   
words struck home. "But I've seen him get wet and not change..."   
She glanced down at Ryouga, confused. 

"You mean the time with the _water-proof _soap?" Her eyes   
widened as they met Ranma's and he nodded somberly. "Akane, I   
have wanted to tell you since Day One, and I was furious when that   
rat-bastard started taking advantage of you! But," he closed the   
distance between them, stepping over Ryouga and taking up her   
hands in his own. "No matter how many times you told me I was   
jealous of a little pig, I seethed inside knowing what he was doing.   
Several times I almost just blurted it out to you, and take the abuse   
you'd dish out, but then he'd throw my promise back in my face. So   
many times..." 

Akane powered down, her anger turning into dispair. Ranma   
followed suit, letting his now black spikes fall back around his face.   
"But I trusted him! He..." She fell into Ranma's arms crying her   
broken heart out. 

"Shh, I'm so sorry, Akane. I'm so sorry." Ranma buried his   
face is her dark blue locks, rubbing her back comfortingly. His tail   
wound around hers, adding more contact. 

Everyone blinked out of their stupor, realizing the crisis was   
over and faded out of the dojo. Ranma caught movement out of the   
corner of his eye and growled under his breath. "Stop, Ryouga." 

The lost boy froze in place, his back ramrod straight in   
fright. "Hai?" 

He gave Tobuma, who stood slightly behind him a glance, and   
nodded to Ryouga. "Go with Tobuma and get dressed. I want to talk   
to you." 

"But...I..." he glanced confused from Ranma and the   
unfamiliar male. 

"Shut up, Ryouga, and I'll explain in a few minutes." He   
turned back to Tobuma. "Keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't   
get lost." 

Tobuma nodded. "Hai, Otousan." The future Saiya-jiin   
turned to the completely confused naked male. "Your things should   
still be in the furo, Ryouga-san. I'll take care of those blisters and   
then you can get dressed." 

The young martial artist glanced sadly at the mated pair that   
clutched at each other in the middle of the dojo. "I never meant to   
hurt you, Akane. Suminasen." He turned back around and allowed   
Tobuma to lead him away by the arm. 

Ranma tightened his grip on his sobbing mate, whispering   
comforting words into her hair. After a few moments he picked her   
up, cradling her in his arms, and ignoring their relatives' questions,   
carried her upstairs to her old room, which was still the way she left   
it, excluding the things she brought with her to Capsule Corp.   
Setting her down gently on the bed, he left for a moment but   
returned, albeit female, with a wet cloth and a large glass of water.   
Silently he cleaned her face and when her sobs calmed and she was   
able, he held the glass up to her mouth for her to drink. 

She sawllowed most of it, and after a few moments of   
silence, she spoke. "Why? Why did he deceive me like that? I   
wouldn't have minded the Jusenkyo curse at first, but why the   
deception for so long?" 

He sighed and sat down next to her, pulling the unresisting   
Akane into his open arms. "He loves you, Akane. You are the only   
stable thing in his life. He hasn't seen his parents for who knows   
how long. He can't stay in one place long enough to make friends, but   
when he ends up back here, you are always waiting and willing to open   
your arms and offer him unconditional love." 

"But as a pet? Who would want to live their life as a pet for   
another?" She tucked a few stray wisps of red hair behind Ranma's   
ear, giving her better access to his cloudy eyes. "And what about   
Akari?" 

"I don't know anything about the Akari situation," he shook   
his head, "but I really don't think he intended to stay your pet for   
forever, Akane. At first, he did it to get me mad, but then it   
became a habit--and he couldn't break it. He feared if he told you   
he'd lose what relationship you two had, albeit weird and one-sided."   
He gave her a gentle smile, his feminine features softening. "But   
for one, I am relieved that it is finally all out in the open. I'm sick   
of keeping it from you. It was eating away at my soul." 

Akane gave him a small frown. "You should have told me right   
away. Didn't you trust me?" 

"Come on, Hima-chan!" He laughed out loud, earning a scowl   
from her. "This is right after you got your hair cut off in that first   
big fight! Would you have believed me? Trusted me, you   
kawaiikunee otemba." He winked and nipped her nose. 

"Oh, well, I guess not, baka hentai," she nipped back. "But   
after we re-Bonded, you should have told me. Mates have to trust   
each other." She narrowed her eyes, poking him in the chest.. 

"Well, actually, Hima-chan," he rubbed the back of his neck,   
and his tail thumped the bed behind him, "I completely forgot about   
it. I've been focusing on the Hachi so much and well, we haven't seen   
him since before our memories came back. Never crossed my mind."   
His face drew into a frown. "And that reminds me that I need to go   
talk to Ryouga. I have Tobuma watching him for me." 

Akane spat, her eyes flashing in anger. "I want nothing to do   
with him, Ranma. Don't even think of asking me to forgive him. It's   
not going to happen, ever." 

He nodded and stood up. "I understand. But I do want him   
around to help with the Hachi attacks. He'd be a good asset to have,   
ne?" 

"As a decoy, maybe," she growled out. She waved her hands.   
"Fine, fine. Go tell him what's going on, but don't expect me to talk   
nicely to him, okay?" 

"Hai, Hima-chan." He smiled and kissed her, a long full kiss   
that both needed to heal after the day's relevations. He pulled away   
after a few moments. "You stay up here and take a nap, okay? I'll   
send one of the girls to check up on you later." 

Akane nodded and then smirked, staring at Ranma's   
pronounced chest. "Well, make sure it's someone I can have some   
fun with." 

He rolled his eyes. "You're a horny little devil, Akane. Maybe   
I should send Vejiita, ne?" Akane stuck out her tongue. "Baka. Love   
you." 

"Love you too, Ranma." Akane said quietly.   



	28. A Special News Bulletin

**A Tail To Remember**   
**by Gie (phowahcs.com)**   
  


**A Tail To Remember**   
**Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Special News Bulletin**

A few hours later, Ranma went back upstairs to check on   
Akane and found her sitting in the middle of her bed, deep in a   
meditative trance. Quietly, he slid in behind her, his legs next to   
her and arms around her waist. He nuzzled the soft skin behind her   
ear, gently coaxing her out of the meditation. He knew he was   
successful when her tail wrapped around his waist, and a soft sigh   
escaped her lips. 

She snuggled herself into a more comfortable position in his   
lap and let out another sigh. "Suminasen, Ranma." 

"What for?" He kissed the crook of her neck, earning a soft   
purr. 

"I'm a lousy person. I let my temper get away from me once   
again. If you and Tobuma-chan hadn't stopped me, I probably would   
have killed that hentai and everyone else in the room." She looked   
down and Ranma felt warm wetness falling on his hands. "I have no   
control when I get that way." 

Ranma tightened his grip around her, burying his face in her   
dark hair. "Don't talk that way, Akane. And don't even think about   
it. It's done and over with. Yes, you were out of control," he   
ignored the flinch that ran through her smaller frame, "but you had   
a right to be that mad. Don't think that you didn't." 

"I know, but since the beginning? How could I have not   
known?" She snorted, disgusted with herself. "Now that I think   
about it, it's so obvious. He was sitting right in front of me the   
entire time, and I just chose to ignore it and your clues that you   
blatantly thrown in my face." She shook her head. "I'm just a big   
dummy, that's all." 

"You're not, Akane. Stop it." His voice was sharp. "Okay?   
You just wanted to see the best in him." 

She nodded. "Okay." 

He planted a kiss on the crown of her head. "Good. Actually,   
I talked with Ryouga." He flinched at the growl that rumbled   
through her chest. "He agreed to help out with the Hachi." 

"That's nice," she spat out sarcastically, "but how is he going   
to help as a pork rind?" 

"Akane..." 

"It's going to take a long time for me to forgive him, Ranma." 

"I know. But just be open to him helping, ne? We need all the   
senshi we can get." 

She grunted. "Whatever." 

A few moments of quiet passed and Ranma spoke up once   
more. "Are you ready to go downstairs? I think Bulma and ChiChi   
are worried about you. You scared them pretty badly." 

"I did, didn't I. Well, I guess I put on quite a light show, ne?"   
Her tone was resigned. 

"Hai." He let a grin slip out. "Especially when you shot off   
the Symphony--and exploded the dojo ceiling." 

She let out a gasp and wrenched her head around to look in   
his face. "It's gone?" 

"Hai," his grin became wider, "your father fainted when he   
saw the damage. There's also a really large black scorch mark   
around the spot you stood where your aura started burning the   
wood." 

"Poor 'Tousan--he's rebuilt the dojo so many times since you   
came." She giggled at his snort and turned around to snuggle back   
into his muscular frame once again. "It's true! Although you   
probably could create an entire foundation with the dust from the   
cement blocks I obliterated over the years." 

Ranma tightened his grip on her and levitated them off the   
bed. He set her down softly and turned her around in his arms,   
capturing her lops for a long kiss, which she eagerly responded to   
with a passion. After they separated, both stared into the other's   
eyes, lost within the depths. 

Akane pressed her hands to his cheeks, running her thumb   
over his strong cheekbone. The love in her dark eyes shone brightly   
from their depths. "I don't know what I would do without you, you   
know that?" 

He nodded, closing his eyes and pressed his lips to her   
forehead. "And you will never find out, Hima-chan. You will _never_   
find out." A hand slipped down her side, coming to rest on the small   
protrusion of Akane's stomach. "You go to the doctor tomorrow,   
ne?" He let a little ki flare, and both smiled at the reaction of the   
familiar flicker of ki that grew within. 

"Hn." She purred softly as he caressed the result of their   
Bonding. "Do you want to come along? Dr. Fujinkai will be taking a   
sonogram, to see if everything is developing okay." 

"All five limbs?" 

She giggled and nodded. "Hai. So do you want to come   
along?" 

"Is Vejiita-ouji coming with Bulma?" 

She rolled her eyes and reached to open the door. "Yeah   
right. That would interrupt his training. And the 'Saiya-jiin no Ouji'   
is above such trivial things as doctor's appointments." She lowered   
the tone of her voice to eerily match her twin's smooth baritone. 

Ranma blinked at her words as they crossed the threshold of   
the room and into the hallway. "Did he actually say that? And in   
front of Bulma?" 

She shook her head as she closed the door behind them. "I   
don't think she is going to ask him, but that's what he would say, ne?" 

He nodded slowly as he caught up her hand, leading her down   
the hall to the stairwell. "He would say that, but I don't think Bulma   
would let him live long enough to react." 

"You got that right." They emerged at the bottom to find   
ChiChi supervising Nabiki and Gohan at the table. The mated pair   
crept closer and Akane almost choked on her own tongue when she   
saw what they were doing. Several ledger books were spread out in   
front of them and Nabiki was going over the finer points of making   
out a successful household budget. 

She pointed out several different columns to the young   
Saiya-jiin as she explained what they meant. "As you can see, we   
had to stretch the minimum amount of money to cover the maximum   
amount of expenditures. Now this one is from the month before   
Ranma and his chaos permeated the household." She flipped through   
one of the thinner books and indicated several numbers. "You can   
see we ran the household fairly efficiently with a moderate amount   
of income. There are the dojo expenses, household expenses, and   
the monthly amount we paid for the contract at the concrete   
company." At Gohan's puzzled look, she explained with a smile. "For   
Akane-chan's brick fetish." She waved her hand at Gohan's   
expression, but glanced over her shoulder at the snort Akane let   
out. "It's true, Imoutochan." 

She continued on, ignoring Akane and Ranma as they gathered   
around her as well. "Everything balanced out at the end of the   
month, and there was usually enough to set aside into the savings   
account." She pointed out another row of numbers. 

She pushed that ledger aside and pulled close a large,   
thickly-bound ledger, and when she opened it up, Gohan could see   
what made it so thick: hundreds of loose papers were attached to   
the regular pages. Nabiki smirked up at Ranma as she spoke. "Now,   
this is the ledger from three months after Ranma arrived. At first,   
the damage totals weren't all that high, but soon the other fiancees   
started arriving, and the rivals, and the attempts on Akane," she   
flicked her gaze to her sister, whose eyes were wide at all of the   
pink invoices stapled to the yellow pages, "not to mention the higher   
levels of random demolishing of concrete and wooden poles made to   
look like a certain pigtailed fiancee at the time. Plus, all of the glass   
repair from someone launching another certain someone out into a   
lower earth orbit." Akane finally flinched, a hot blush spreading   
across her features. She punched Ranma in the shoulder when he   
started murmuring under his breath about uncute tomboys. 

Gohan and ChiChi just stared silently at the three Nerimians.   
The young male turned back to the books and frowned when he   
realized something was off. "Nabiki-san, these numbers don't make   
much sense, though." He pulled the previous ledger back and pointed   
out a column. "If this was your total net income from this month,   
why is this month's so much more higher? It's almost triple in   
amount." He pointed to the end total, which was significantly higher   
that month's previous. 

She nodded, smiling. "Good catch, Gohan-chan. Well, I   
realized that with Ranma and his Otousan here, we would need to   
increase the level of income to better accommodate our higher need   
of money. It also became apparent that it would need to be a   
drastic change, since we were going through food like no tomorrow,   
and repairs were astronomical." 

"So what did you do?" ChiChi asked, very interested since   
the change in income was a drastic amount. She knew the strain of   
stretching a tight and limited budget. Although she did have her   
garden and the natural wildlife around them to help supplement it. 

"I generated a new income from the highest income spender."   
Nabiki smirked at the one in question, who knew what she was   
talking about, and was frowning in displeasure. 

"Who?" 

"Why, Ranma-kun here, of course. I found the perfect   
opportunity to supplement the small amount we had left from   
'Tousan's running of the dojo and the savings account." She pulled   
out a manila envelope and opened it, and withdrew what was inside.   
She fanned out the glossy colored pictures. "Twenty-five hundred   
yen each, or a set of five for ten thousand." The pictures were of   
Ranma in female form, and all were very provocative poses. 

"Oh!" ChiChi squealed, and quickly slapped her hands over   
Gohan's eyes. "He's...she's...er...Serori's half-naked!" 

Ranma glanced through them, vaguely recognizing them.   
"That's the set I posed for, ne, Nabiki?" He held out up critically.   
"I've seen better camera angles in dog show pictures." Akane   
elbowed him in the side. 

The middle Tendo rolled her eyes. "You get what you pay for,   
and at the time the photographer's sitting price was right." 

"You posed for them?" ChiChi stared at Ranma incredulously,   
horrified at the thought. "They're...pornography! And you aren't of   
age in them. Serori!" 

He blushed a deep red, and glanced around in embarrassment,   
scowling at Akane's chuckle. "Actually, they're not that bad, ChiChi,   
compared to some of the stuff out there." He gestured to them.   
"And it's only cleavage and sheer clothing. You don't see any nipple   
or...other areas." He cleared his throat. "I made sure of that." 

Gohan was trying to pry his mother's iron-clad grip over his   
eyes, and finally got to see what her fuss was about. He blushed   
slightly as he saw the male that he thought of as an older   
brother...sister in the pictures...dressed rather scantily, but gave   
them an aesthetic opinion. "Gee, Serori-san, you're awfully pretty!" 

Akane giggled at the face Ranma made. "Hai, Gohan-chan,   
he's very pretty." 

ChiChi smiled at the mated pair. "Are you feeling better,   
Seiika-chan? Do you want me to make some pork buns for you?" A   
wicked gleam entered her eye. 

"I do feel better, but let's put the pork buns on hold, okay?"   
She gave the elder female a smile but glanced around the room. "So   
where is everyone else?" 

"Bulma, Tobuma, and 'Tousan are out assessing the dojo,"   
Akane winced, and Ranma wrapped his tail around her waist for   
comfort. "And the last time I saw her, Kasumi was in the kitchen. I   
don't know where the other guys went." She shrugged and started   
to clean up her papers. 

ChiChi rolled her eyes. "More than likely they are outside,   
maiming each other. Goku-saa, Vejiita, Trunks and that Piccolo-thing   
headed in the direction of the backyard." ChiChi made a face at the   
mention of the Namek-seijiin. 

Gohan nodded in agreement with his mother, but not about   
her opinion of his sensei. "Hai, Okaasan. But they aren't doing   
anything too powerful at the moment." He gave his mother a smile.   
"Can I go see what they're doing?" 

She nodded, ruffling his hair. "As if I could keep you away.   
Just don't get too mussed up." He nodded and ran outside. 

ChiChi glanced down at the pictures again, which were still   
spread out in front of her. "People buy these?" 

"Hai, and they also buy these." Nabiki pulled out another   
envelope, and picking up the female set of pictures, spread out a set   
of Ranma as a male, holding several poses. In most of them he was   
without a shirt, and sweat beaded down his toned chest. "They   
aren't as popular as they used to be, since Ranma has graduated and   
moved to Western Capital," she let out a small sigh and Ranma rolled   
his eyes, "but there are still a few legends that float around the   
hallowed halls of Furinkan." She glanced at the pictures again. "You   
know, now that you've done some serious training and bulked up quite   
a bit, I bet I could start selling some new poses. And if I get the   
others, I could start like a Series 2--call it the Saiya-jiin Saga."   
Nabiki's eyes lit up at the figures that started to roll through her   
mind. 

Ranma put a quick stop to that line of thinking. "Nuh uh. I'm   
done with that! I only did it once, willingly, and that was to pay back   
my debt to you." His eyes narrowed as he realized something. "And   
come to think of it, my debt should have been paid in full by now. So   
where's my cut? If you're still selling them, and my debt is paid..." 

She waved a hand. "It's all taken care of, Ranma-kun. I've   
been putting it into an account that you'll be able to access when you   
finally take over the dojo." She opened at ledger and showed him   
and Akane her totals. "Of course, I took out my fee for being your   
accountant already, but you have a nice nest-egg started." 

A growl rumbled from his throat and Nabiki blinked. "Stop   
selling the pictures, Nabiki. Enough is enough." 

"The more sold, the more in the account, ne?" She frowned   
slightly. 

Akane glanced over the numbers. "Actually, this is pretty   
good. Arigato, Oneechan, but actually, the selling should stop." 

A phone rang and Nabiki reached into a pocket and pulled out   
a small cell phone. "Nani?" A small smile crept over her face as she   
listened to the other end of the conversation. "Hai. Make sure you   
get good ones. I'll come and pick out the finalists tomorrow." She   
hung up and turned back to the scowling Ranma and Akane. "Okay,   
okay! No more selling Ranma. Gotcha." 

"You will not sell pictures of Tobuma or Trunks, Nabiki."   
Akane growled under her breath. "And don't deny it, either. Your   
conversation was clear as day." 

"Fine. How about this--sell enough to cover the cost of the   
dojo repairs and then that's it." She glanced between the pair, and   
after a moment of staring at each other, they nodded. 

"If I find out you've gone over the limit, Nabiki," Akane   
warned her, "you'll have to deal with me, ne?" 

She picked up the picture of male Ranma, scowling. "I hear   
you; stop threatening me, _Seiika._" She picked up her books and left   
the room in a huff. 

Bulma, Tobuma, and a pale-faced Soun entered the room,   
taking up different positions around the table. Tobuma sat down   
next to his parents and Bulma settled down next to ChiChi. Soun   
laid his head on the table and wrapped a pillow around his head. "So,   
what's the bad news?" Ranma finally asked. 

The blue-haired genius shook her head. "Well, to tell you the   
truth, Serori-kun, the whole thing's vastly outdated, and there is   
structure and foundation damage and half-assed repair jobs from   
other times," she smiled apologetically at the shaking form of Soun,   
who had started sobbing over his precious dojo. "So, the long and   
short of it is that, well, you need a new one. From the ground up." 

Akane shook her head in disbelief. "Really? Completely?"   
She turned to her father. "Gomen nasai, 'Tousan, I didn't mean to..." 

"It's okay, Akane-chan," the elder male sat up and sighed in   
defeat, waving a hand in dismissal. "Maybe it's time to face reality,   
ne? Let an old man's dreams fade away as they should have awhile   
ago." He sighed loudly and looked down into this lap. 

"Don't think that way, 'Tousan!" Akane knelt next to Soun,   
and wrapped her arms around him. "We will rebuild it, even better   
than before and when we've defeated the Hachi, Ranma and I will   
take over the dojo, just as you and Saotome-ojisan planned, ne?" A   
few tears escaped down her cheeks. "Just don't give up, ne,   
'Tousan? Onegai, just don't give up on us." Soun burst into tears and   
nodded against his daughter's hair. 

Everyone in the room shuffled around a bit, uncomfortable by   
all the emotions. Bulma cleared her throat, speaking up. The pair of   
crying martial artists glanced up at her. Bulma smiled at them as   
she spoke. "Don't worry about a thing, Seiika-chan. I'll send over a   
construction crew and we'll get a new one set up and going in no   
time." 

"You don't need to worry about us, Bulma. We'll do it." Ranma   
shook his head at the offer. Akane nodded in agreement. 

"Actually, I insist, Serori. I am in contact with one of the   
local schools and their construction classes, and this would be a   
perfect opportunity for them." 

Akane was going to protest again, but Bulma held up a hand,   
not letting her respond. Ranma smiled at her and nodded. "Domo   
arigato, Bulma. Your offer is most appreciated." 

Nabiki peeked her head around the corner. "I think you guys   
should be watching this." 

"What is it, Nabiki?" Akane asked, following her into the   
other room. "Is there another attack?" 

"I'll go get the guys outside," Bulma said, and bolted out of   
the room. 

Akane sat down to watch what Nabiki had on: CNN. By the   
time everyone filed into the room, Headline News had started, and   
the anchor, Hiiro Taki, had just announced something about the   
American Stock Market. _"Now, in other news, the United Nations_   
_has decided to call a special meeting early next week to discuss a_   
_world-wide collaborated effort to stop the Giant Bee attacks on our_   
_world's population. Such a meeting has not been called for over fifty_   
_years."_

Tobuma let out a curse, making several people turn in his   
direction. "It'll only be worse! They'll mobilize their forces, then   
the Hachi will have easy pickings!" 

"Then what do we do?" Bulma asked. "It's not like we can go   
and explain that their efforts are going to work against them!" 

"Actually, that's what we need to do." Trunks spoke up from   
the position on the wall, a hard, serious look underneath the layer of   
sweat from the spar. Goku and Vejiita were next to him. "We need   
to go and present our story to the council; let them know that their   
efforts are fruitless, and tell them to worry and focus on their own   
countries." 

"They won't believe a word we say. The United Nations will   
just scoff in our face and throw us out." Nabiki snorted. "How   
would we convince them to listen?" 

"We show them." Tobuma held up a small golden disk. "We   
show them what can happen if they don't listen." 

"What's that?" Goku spoke up. 

"It's a data disk. Actually, it's all that's left of Chikyuu, at   
least in our minds." Trunks said quietly. "I have several others that   
hold all of my Kaasan's business dealings, logs and personal entries,   
but that one has..." Trunks trailed off and glanced at Tobuma, who   
was staring at it with a frown. 

"This one was made about two days...'Tousan did a survey of   
Chikyuu two days before he was killed." 

Ranma blanched at the mention of his...future death. "What's   
on it, Tobuma?" he asked quietly. 

"I haven't looked at it yet," the young Saiya-jiin admitted   
somberly. "I found it in a drawer with my name written on it in his   
handwriting a little over a month after he died. Bulma-obaasan told   
me what it is...or what she thinks it is." He glanced up at the   
present version of his father and shrugged. "I guess the only way to   
really find out is to look, ne?" 

Trunks left the room and all could hear the distinct sound of   
a capsule exploding, and when he returned, he held a small piece of   
electronic equipment. Placing it in the middle of the room, he backed   
away and Tobuma pushed a button, revealing a slot to slide the disk   
in. After it disappeared into the player, he pressed another button   
and stepped back. 

Akane made her way over to Ranma, clutching at his arm. "Do   
you want to leave?" She could feel the tension falling off him in   
waves, and their Link intensified everything. 

He shook his head. "Iie, I need to see this, too." 

A three-dimensional picture appeared in the empty space   
above the projector. Soon, it filled with a scene familiar to   
most--the front lawn of Capsule Corp. Although the buildings   
surrounding it were in dire need of repair. 

A voice, deep and soft, filled the quiet room. Both Ranma and   
Akane sucked in a breath--it sounded exactly like Ranma, but the   
tone clearly held a note of aged weariness. "Well, this is it.   
Tomorrow, I attack. It's all or nothing, now." The view panned the   
area, taking in the desolation and destruction as the camera started   
to move down the road. "There are so little of us left. And it's only   
me and the boys that are any effect against the bastards. Soon,   
though, it will only be them." A sigh was heard and a large   
weathered hand passed over the eye, and when it was removed, the   
image was from the air, and a panoramic shot of the area was shown.   
Abandoned cars and trucks littered the roads. Broken-down   
buildings, dark and crumbling in their disuse stood like battered   
sentinels in the quiet air. 

The voice started in again. "The image you see, well, once was   
Nerima. There hasn't been a living soul here for a good six or so   
years. It's definitely at its quietest since I've known the area." The   
images blurred by as the speaker added speed. 

The elder Ranma's voice started again when the camera's   
images slowed down. "Tomorrow I launch my attack against the   
Hive. Kamikaze, ne? I know. But with only a handful of people left   
what's there left to lose? I'll have to send the boys to the other   
side of Chikyuu. Hopefully they'll be occupied enough over there to   
not notice my efforts here. They would more than likely try and   
stop me, or do something foolish, like come with me." Everyone   
heard a soft chuckle. "Bubu-chan will miss me..." 

Nabiki let out a snicker and leveled a laughing gaze at   
Tobuma. "Bubu-chan?" 

"Shut up, Obaasan." Tobuma scowled, a blush covering his   
high cheekbones. "I haven't been called that since I was six." 

Mirai-Ranma went on as the images of a war-torn Chikyuu   
kept the viewers entranced. "He's too much like his mother that   
way. Always worrying about me and getting in the way. At least   
there are no weird princesses out to marry him." He chuckled again. 

The present time's Ranma chuckled as well. "You always   
attracted the weird ones, ne, Hima-chan?" He ducked the fist that   
was aimed for his head. 

"Baka." Her eyes widened when a foreign image appeared in   
the hologram. "What...what is that?" 

"That is the Hive." Tobuma answered her, hate and malice   
making his voice thick. "That's what the Hachi will build when they   
secure their Queen." 

"Me..." Akane breathed, her chest tight at the implications   
running through her mind, and the others as well. 

At this point, Ryouga happened to wander into the room   
silently and sat himself in a dark corner. He stared at Akane for   
several moments before sighing to himself and turning his gaze to   
the image in the middle of the room. 

"Did you know I can still feel you, Akane? I can still feel your   
presence in the back of my mind. If I concentrate on you, and my   
memories of you--I can feel your essence flow through me...it tears   
at my heart that you live, and are not at my side. I almost killed   
myself the night I lost you...I had the tanto pushed into my stomach   
and was ready to make the cuts, but then...then...I heard Bubu-chan's   
crying. I don't know if he sensed my absolute despair or he was   
hungry, but that cry brought me back to my senses. If I was   
gone--then he would have no one. Vejiita and Bulma would have   
raised him as their own, I know, but he was _ours, Akane_. Formed   
from _our_ Bond, _our soul_. Damned if he wouldn't be raised as ours, as   
well!" 

Akane choked back a sob, a hand covering her mouth. "I'm so   
sorry, Ranma! I'm so sorry..." 

"Hush, Akane...it's not going to happen..." Ranma wrapped his   
arms tight around her, crushing her into his chest. "The future is   
not written in stone. I refuse to believe it!" 

The image flickered and zoomed in on the Hive, a mass of   
black onyx honeycombs, shining in sun. Many Hachi drones were   
circling the large spherical object, going about their business,   
looking like flies swarming a carcass. 

"It's massive!" exclaimed Goku, leaning close. "It must be,   
gods, over a hundred stories high! The Hachi look like gnats." 

"One hundred sixteen stories and almost one mile in   
circumference. Who knows what the population number." Tobuma   
spat. Hearing his true father's voice mourning his mother struck his   
heart deep. He didn't know about his father's suicide attempt, and   
his own unknowing save. He already didn't have a mother...he couldn't   
picture his life without his father. 

"Chikyuu's inhabitants minus the ones that we destroyed,"   
Trunks said tonelessly. 

"This is all fine and morbid, but how will this help our case to   
the UN?" All eyes turned to the practical Nabiki. 

Bulma frowned. "How can we tell them without revealing too   
much of the origins of you Saiya-jiin? If they find out aliens are on   
Chikyuu, and have been for years..." 

"They'll be after them like mice on cheese." ChiChi finished.   
She shook her head. "They're going to have to be shown the data   
CD, but maybe edit out Mirai Serori's voice, ne? I don't think they   
need to hear that. They can get the general point without   
commentary, or we add our own." 

"Playing devil's advocate, they call us out, saying we're   
bluffing. That you just 'created these scenes to try and dissuade us   
against fighting the Hachi." Nabiki crossed her arms. "What do we   
do then?" 

"Then we show them that we mean business, and want the   
Hachi threat taken care of." Ranma started. "We explain to them   
that we are the ones that have been fighting the Hachi so far, and   
if we have to, we give examples of our power." 

"So you're the ones that brought them to Chikyuu! You're   
siding with them?" 

"No! We want them gone--it's just we have the best potential   
to carry that objective out. We have direct stake in their defeat   
and will resort to any means necessary to get it accomplished!" 

"Our armies have been trained to protect our own. We do not   
need your help, or your vigilante hindrance." 

"What good will your armies be against a thousand paralysis   
beams? What use will the guns and tanks and aircraft be against an   
enemy that freeze you in place and takes advantage of your immobile   
state?" 

"We will develop ways to counteract them. We will have the   
brightest minds working on solutions around the clock." Nabiki was   
getting into it, her face flushed. 

"There are none!" So was Ranma. Although his face was   
flushed from frustration. "There is no way to detect where they   
are and when they will attack next. So far, we have been relying on   
the news to tell us where the next attack happens. We have   
scanned Chikyuu for days on end, trying to find where they are   
hiding out, where the nest is, but nothing. They have hidden   
themselves somewhere undetectable. They have no energy signature   
that we can lock onto. So how, pray tell, are you going to find   
them?" 

Everyone was silent, taking in the heated conversation   
between Ranma and Nabiki. Finally she smirked, and shook her head.   
"You can't get all hot-headed in there, Ranma-kun. They'll eat you   
alive and spit you out to the dogs." 

He sighed and ran a hand through his thick spikes in   
frustration. "It won't be like that, will it?" 

Bulma shook her head. "Not really. But the delegates from   
every single nation on Chikyuu will be there, and each one has a stake   
in the defeat of the Hachi, since it seems they have struck almost   
everywhere. We have to present a well-informed, concise, clear   
dictation in New York. One that everyone can comprehend and   
comply. If we go in there shouting, they won't listen." 

"Actually, the first thing is we need to know is if they will   
take an audience with us." ChiChi said, her face pulled into a frown.   
"The anchor didn't say the public was invited." 

"We will be able to be heard, don't worry about that." Bulma   
waved a hand. "Papa is in cahoots with Japan's UN representative,   
and Capsule Corporation has enough pull in the world to be granted a   
spot on the council itself. We are almost a superpower in ourselves."   
She smirked and crossed her arms. "We will have an audience." 

"Okay, so let's line everything up." Akane glanced at Trunks   
and Tobuma. "You two need to brainstorm and make a synopsis of   
the Hachi, since you are the most familiar with them. Everything we   
need to present to them under the sun, okay?" 

"Hai, Obaasan," Trunks turned to his mother. "I'll need the   
use of the labs--We have quite a bit of information to sort through   
on some of the data disks." 

"No problem. While you're at it, you can also create a slide   
show from the disks as well; something we can show to the delegates   
and give to the news stations, too." The two males nodded. 

"We also need to come up with an idea to present to them on   
just how the separate countries can protect themselves," Goku said   
somberly. "We need to let them know that we can't be everywhere   
at once at the same time. So far the Hachi have been doing only a   
few attacks in different places, at the same time, and we've been   
able to handle them fairly well. But if they start pushing up the   
frequency of the attacks, and the numbers involved, then the   
countries will need some sort of defense, at least something basic to   
protect themselves until we can get there." 

"Very good ideas, Son-kun," Bulma nodded, smiling at her   
long-time friend. "You and Vejiita are the best strategists, I'll give   
you a generalized outlook on what the major countries are capable of   
and..." 

"I refuse to work with that idiot to save this mudball."   
Vejiita glared at Bulma, his ire evident in his stance and stare. 

"This mudball has every living Saiya-jiin on it, Vejiita!" Akane   
scowled at her twin. "If this was Vejiita-sei, you would be leading   
our strongest senshi against any attackers!" 

"But this isn't it, is it, Seiika?" He growled back. "And I   
refuse to associate with that numskull who doesn't have a decent   
idea in his head. He'd probably suggest luring the Hachi away with   
big vats of honey." 

"Refuse to associate? He's your friend, bakayarou!" Bulma's   
face was red with anger. "And you help create a war plan or I'll   
dismantle the gravity chamber!" 

"Onna..." he growled. 

"Otoko..." she growled back. 

Goku held up a hand. "Hey you two, it's okay. Just because   
Vejiita can't work with me, doesn't mean it can't be done." He turned   
to Ranma. "Do you want to help me, Serori?" 

He nodded. "Sure, Goku. And actually, I was hoping I could   
help. I have a couple ideas that might work. And Ryouga would be   
willing to input his knowledge of the other countries too, ne? He's   
been everywhere in his wanderings." 

The young man in question scowled from his quiet spot against   
a wall, but nodded. "I'll do what I can, Ranma." He gave a quick   
glance to Akane, who had pointedly turned her back to him. He   
sighed sadly and shook his head. "I'll do what I can." 

Nabiki stared at the emotion-ridden people in the room.   
"Getting back on track, I'd like to know who's going. We can't have   
twenty people storm the podium." 

"Well, actually, I thought the best speakers would be you and   
Bulma, Nabiki," Akane stated, simply. "Both of you are poised and   
well-spoken, and used to speaking in front of large crowds." 

Bulma nodded. "Arigato, Seiika-chan. I'd also like to have   
Trunks or Tobuma there, too, so you could have the 'real thing' for   
presenting the Hachi future." The pair of future Saiya-jiin shot   
each other glances and nodded. 

She then turned to Goku. "And Son-kun has the ability to   
make anyone believe what he says and go along with him and his   
ideas." The tall male in question grinned and blushed. Bulma smiled   
wider. "He'd be perfect to act as the impassioned one." 

He nodded. "Sure, Bulma. I don't know what to say, but I'll   
help out any way I can." 

Vejiita snorted, shaking his head in disgust. "Pathetic baka." 

"Shut up, Vejiita," Bulma warned him with a glare, "or you'll   
be coming with me to the OB/GYN appointment with me tomorrow."   
He blanched but remained quiet. She continued, glancing at   
everyone else. "There is a visitor viewing area, or whatever they call   
it, so the rest can watch." 

"Good. I was hoping there was something like that. I did   
want to go." Akane smiled. 

"Well, let's get started, minna. We only have a few days to   
prepare everything." Bulma stood up. "Are you ready to go,   
Seiika-chan?" 

She nodded. "In a minute." The others left the room, leaving   
Bulma, ChiChi and the Saiya-jiin in the room. Ryouga remained in the   
room, where he watched the interactions of everyone else silently   
from a dark shadow. 

Bulma turned to Vejiita, a scowl on her face to rival the one   
on his own. The pair stared at each other silently for several   
moments, until she smirked and turned away. If it could, Vejiita's   
frown deepened as he stalked out of the room. 

ChiChi turned to Goku. "I think it's time we started home, as   
well. I need to start supper, and afterwards you can teleport to   
Capsule Corp to start working with Serori-kun." 

"Hai, ChiChi. That sounds good." Goku turned to Ranma. "I'll   
talk to you later, then." He smiled down at ChiChi, taking her hand   
to lead her out. The small Chikyuu-jiin female blushed and allowed   
herself to be led out; Gohan following at his parents' heels. 

Akane and Bulma gave each other secretive looks. "Did you   
talk to him, Bulma-chan?" 

"Actually, I did," she smirked, "And he blushed like a little   
boy. But I was surprised, as well. Son-kun knows about Bonds and   
Bonding, well, the gist of it all." 

"He does?" Both Ranma and Akane blinked at each other in   
shock. "But ChiChi acted like they weren't Bonded." 

"They aren't," she shook her head. "They did conceive   
Gohan-chan on their wedding night; ChiChi was right about that.   
They've only gone through the one part of the Mating Ceremony   
--they've Mated, but only Goku has Marked her. ChiChi thought he   
was just 'being rough' so she didn't reciprocate it. Plus, they didn't   
go through the actual 'Bonding' part, which is what opens the Link   
between the pair." 

"So are they going to perform it soon?" Akane asked   
excitedly. 

"I don't know. Son-kun said that he didn't know if ChiChi   
would want to. Of course, I almost beat him up and told him that   
ChiChi was almost mad with jealousy over our Bonds." Her smile   
faded slowly. "But he also said that he had a feeling if they would   
Bond and open a Link, something would happen to him, thereby   
hurting ChiChi. He's died before," she reminded them. 

She sighed and turned around. "I better go find Vejiita and   
talk him out of his bad mood. Come and get me when you're ready to   
leave, Seiika-chan." She left leaving Akane and Ranma and the pair   
of future Saiya-jiin in the room. 

Tobuma had been fiddling with the data CD while he and   
Trunks were discussing and outlining what needed to be said and   
documented for their 'presentation.' He was still in shock over the   
realization of his father's early attempt of ending his life. The   
thought depressed him more than he realized it could, since it   
happened almost 20 years ago. He jumped when a familiar hand   
came down on his shoulder, and his heart leapt, thinking that the   
past six months had been a nightmare...but it instead shattered, and   
he had to choke back the sob that threatened to bubble forth when   
he turned to see the face of his father--the present day version,   
who was in reality only a year older than he. He turned away quickly   
to hide the raw emotion that wasn't able to be controlled. 

But both Ranma and Akane saw it, and knew what it meant.   
Ranma glanced at Trunks. "Trunks-kun, could you excuse us for a   
moment?" 

The purple-haired male looked up and nodded, knowing his   
cousin's emotional state all too well. He felt it that day when they   
first arrived and confessed their true origins; the same day he knelt   
in his much-younger mother's lap and sobbed like a little baby. "Hai,   
Ojisan. I'll be outside with Okaasan and Otousan." He got up and   
left. 

Akane knelt behind Tobuma and wrapped her arms around his   
neck, burying her face into his black spikes. "Don't wallow in the   
past, Tobuma-chan--it'll only increase the pain." Her tail wound   
around his waist and squeezed comfortingly. 

He shook his head in denial. "I'm not; it's just hearing his   
voice today brought back a lot of memories." he sighed and clutched   
at the hands resting on his chest. His voice was low when he spoke   
again. "I miss him so much..." 

"It's okay, Tobuma, to miss him." Ranma knelt down in front   
of him, placing a hand on his knee in comfort. "I bet he's watching   
you from up above now, ne? You'll always have him close," he pointed   
to his chest, "in here." 

The future Saiya-jiin nodded slightly. "I know." He looked up   
and into the smoky blue eyes he known and loved since day one. "I   
know." He leaned forward and buried his face into the chest of the   
male that would one day become his father. "I love you, Papa..." 

Ranma blinked, surprised, but wrapped his arms around his   
family. He let a proud smile form. _His family. His._ "I love you too,   
Bubu-chan...I love you, too." He caught movement out of the corner   
of his eye and saw Ryouga emerge from his shadow, staring at them   
with a resigned look to his handsome face. He nodded slightly to the   
male Saiya-jiin and Ryouga turned around and left the room. 

He caught Akane's teary eye and smiled tenderly at his mate.   
He brought a hand up to cup her cheek. _This is our family,_   
_Hima-chan. Ours._

_ Hai. _ She nodded and closed her eyes. _Past, present, and_   
_future._ Planting a kiss on Tobuma's head, she leaned forward and   
captured her mate's lips. 

Tobuma, mushed in between his past mother and father, felt   
complete for the first time in his life. He let out a small contented   
sigh and snuggled deeper into the familiar musky scent that   
surrounded him. Content to stay in that particular position for the   
rest of his life. 

But the moment did come to an end. Akane pulled back, and   
Tobuma immediately sat up, wiping away the tears that spilled down   
his cheeks. "Gomen." 

Ranma stood up and offered a hand up for Tobuma, giving him   
a firm hug. "Forget about it, Tobuma. We're your family, ne?   
That's all that matters." 

"Hai, Otousan. Arigato." He nodded his thanks. Akane gave   
him another hug and with a buss to the cheek, she pulled Ranma out   
of the room, leaving the future Saotome alone in the room. He   
sighed and stared at the images that the 3-D projector was showing,   
knowing each spot by memory. A faint pain jagged through his heart   
as he saw memories played through his mind as certain spots tugged   
up scenes from the past. 

As he was about to turn it off, a screen popped up, prompting   
a password. Tobuma blinked. "Password? What for?" He sat down   
and pushing a button, a small keyboard swung open from the side.   
He typed in a few random words, but every time an _::error, invalid_   
_password:: _screen came up. He let out a frustrated sigh and   
thought out loud. "Well, this was left for me, so what would 'Tousan   
put as a password that only I would know?" He tried a few more   
times, but it didn't open. He was about ready to give it a good kick   
to the moon, but then a word popped into his head. He scrunched up   
his face and typed it in: 

_ ::B-u-b-u-c-h-a-n::_

_ ::Password accepted::_

"You are so weird, 'Tousan..." Tobuma shook his head. The   
hologram turned to black, and slowly an image formed. Tobuma drew   
in his breath as the familiar image cleared to show his father, Mirai   
Ranma, sitting on the edge of a table. He really didn't look all that   
different from the version that existed in this time, but there were   
subtle differences. This version had grown into his looks; his broad   
shoulders and developed chest being hugged by the silky shirt that   
clung to his frame. The youthful-looking features seemed older than   
normal, the toll of living in a war zone showing deep in the smoky   
blue of the senshi. The differences were noticeable when he   
compared the present day version, the one that did not live through   
the horrors of war, and losing a mate and all other loved ones to the   
enemy. The only real physical difference between the pair in   
appearance was the jagged scar that started under his left eye and   
curled to end by his ear. Tobuma sat back down with his eyes wide   
and stared at the image of Saotome Ranma; Serori, son of Toma, and   
mate to the Saiya-jiin no Oujo. His father. 

Mirai Ranma ran a hand through his thick black spikes,   
ignoring the state of tangle they fell into. He sighed and stared into   
the camera. "Hey, Bubu-chan. I see you found the disc, and figured   
out the password." He smirks. "You always hated that name, but   
when Trunks-kun officially christened you with it when you were,   
what, a year old, it stuck like glue. Your mother would have wanted   
to call you 'T-chan' or something ridiculous like that." 

"Yeah, I can see her doing something like that." Tobuma   
agreed, talking to the projection as if he were sitting in the room   
with him. 

His smile faded as he stared into the camera lens. "I hope   
you don't find this too soon after I...well, by now I should be dead.   
Hopefully, the Hachi are dead with me, too. I hope you aren't too   
disappointed in me, Tobuma, taking on the Hachi by myself. It was   
something that I had to do. It was my fault they established the   
Colony here on Chikyuu, and it will be my fault they are gone. Be   
proud of me, Tobuma, that I am going to the other side as a   
senshi--as a true Saiya-jiin wants: in battle, fists and ki flying. It   
will be a glorious sight to see, musuko. 

Tobuma nodded again. "It was, 'Tousan...you were at your   
highest levels ever. We did feel you from the other side of the   
planet where you sent me and Trunks to scrounge. And you were   
right, we did try and stop you, but we were too late." 

"With this battle, I also hope to liberate your mother, too.   
I'm hoping that if I get to Akane, then the hierarchy of the Hive will   
fall apart, and you and Trunks should be able to pick off the rest of   
the wandering Drones. Hopefully, it will work." 

"It didn't, 'Tousan..." Tobuma swallowed hard and shook his   
head. "It didn't. We haven't seen the Queen...but the Hachi were   
still mobile. And they picked up their pace of attacks. Trunks and I   
tried our best to stop them! We tried so hard...but it wasn't the   
same without you, Papa...you were the heart of Chikyuu's survival." 

Mirai Ranma shifted a bit from where he was seated on the   
table. "Tobuma, no matter what happens out there, I just want you   
to know that I am very proud of you. You have surpassed whatever   
expectation I have ever tried to place on you. I tried to be the best   
father I could--I didn't have much to go by, only Oyaji's less than   
perfect example, but I tried to just be there for you in whatever   
way I could. Even if I had to be female, I would have moved   
mountains for you, Tobuma. I love you, with all my heart, and so   
does your mother." He smiled tenderly at the camera. "She would   
be so proud of you." 

"Papa..." 

"Take care, Bubu-chan, and don't worry about me. I'll be   
waiting for you at Enma-daiou's desk when your time is up. And so   
will Akane." Mirai Ranma winked into the camera. "You can count on   
that. I love you." And with a wave of his fingers, the screen faded   
to blank, the machine turning off. 

The young male was silent for several moments, staring into   
the space where the image used to be. "I love you too, Papa..."   
Letting his head fall into shaking hands and with silently shuddering   
shoulders, Saotome Tobuma grieved the loss of his father. Alone. 

**_Somwhere on Chikyuu, hidden from all_**

Deep within a cave several miles below the surface, Daisy   
looked over his 'collected' troops--all fifteen hundred Drones. He   
came to Chikyuu with a rather small assimilation force, just under a   
hundred, but was happy at the progress he had accomplished thus   
far, especially with the added bonus of the Saiya-jiin to contend   
with. "I believe we are ready for the next step." Punching a few   
buttons on the console in front of him, he raised contact with his   
home ship, _Tokemonu._

An audio answered him. _This is the 4656-C Tokemonu,_   
_Marigold speaking._

"This is Daisy, on Chikyuu, Marigold. Are you the only one on   
duty?" 

_No, there are other officers and the captain here; putting_   
_you on visual, now._

A hologram appeared and Daisy saluted the image of the   
captain, Iris, and Rose, his second in command. "Greetings, Daisy,"   
Iris nodded, "Are you sending in a status report?" 

The Security Chief and Commander of the Drones nodded.   
"Yes, I'm sending a filed status report with my daily log. Basically,   
we have been doing fairly well. Not as many as I would hope for   
being here a month, but my numbers are fairly standard." 

Rose narrowed his beady eyes. "Are the Saiya-jiin causing   
you any problems?" 

Daisy nodded. "Actually they are rather a nuisance,   
Commander. I've had to come up with several strategies to   
counteract their defense. Usually, I try to send out several raiding   
parties to try and spread out their forces, but usually at least one   
Saiya-jiin and one of the normal human members of their defense   
forces show up and defeat them. But I've taken to getting the raids   
over and done with in a short amount of time as possible, and sending   
the newly assimilated Drones back to base so they don't have a   
chance to be destroyed." 

"A wise judgment move on your part, Daisy." Iris nodded in   
agreement. "Sound strategy but slow going. I can see why your   
numbers are on the low side. Have you had any sign or contact with   
the future Queen?" 

"No, sir. Actually, I haven't had any reports of females in   
their ranks. More than likely they are protecting them carefully." 

"Saiya-jiin are fiercely protective over members of their   
family units. It is no wonder they are not fighting." Rose added. 

"I also have another reason why I'm calling, sir. I was   
wondering when you would be arriving on Chikyuu." 

Iris sighed. "Our repairs are going slow, but we have made   
progress. Our main thrusters are online and engines are just about   
ready to be set online. Our arrival should be just about three   
months." 

Daisy glanced down at his console for a moment before   
looking back up. "That's actually rather good to hear, sir. I am   
starting to run low on assimilation discs. The Saiya-jiin tend to   
destroy any one that they come across, and when the Drone is   
disarmed, they fire their ki. That is part of the setback I am   
dealing with, as well. If I may, I'd like your permission to continue   
on to Phase 2." 

The pair of officers glanced at each other. "Do you think you   
have enough Drones to proceed, Daisy?" 

He nodded. "I will be sending almost everyone I can spare   
with assimilation discs into a final raid that will span each of the   
populated continents. It should increase my numbers by about half.   
Then I should have enough for Swarming." 

"If you think you're up to it, Daisy, then go ahead. If not,   
then keep going with the small raids. An increase of any is more   
than a loss." 

"I understand, sir. Daisy, out." 

Iris leaned back in his seat, and turned to look at Rose, who   
had his head bowed into his chest. "What are you thinking, Rose?" 

He was silent for a moment, but when he spoke, it was   
obvious he was choosing his words carefully. "Daisy said the   
Saiya-jiin's ability for ki was his biggest problem, right?" 

"For the most part. But they must have some ability to fight,   
to be able to disarm the Drones of their discs, as well." Marigold   
spoke up. 

Rose held out a limb, and a small ball of light green ki formed   
in the palm, making a large shadow of a claw flicker on the black   
communication screen. He let out an evil-sounding chuckle and made   
a fist, forcing the ki through his four appendages. "Somehow, I   
believe the scales will be tipping when we arrive." He turned to Iris.   
"With your permission, sir, I'd like to start a project of my own." 

The captain twitched an antennae in curiosity. "Of what   
nature?" 

"I have an idea that might help us in the defeat of the   
Saiya-jiin on Chikyuu." 

Iris stared at his officer for a few moments, and then   
nodded. "What will you require?" 

"I'd like to pull Poppy away from the upgrading, and have him   
help me." 

"All right. You have until we enter Chikyuu's orbit because I   
will need both Mum and Poppy to start the upgrading and   
reorganizing of the Drones on Chikyuu." 

"I believe that will be plenty of time, Captain." He stood and   
nodding to Iris, left the bridge. 

Marigold stared after the enhanced Hachi, a thoughtful look   
to his black features. "Is it going to be that bad, Captain? Are the   
Saiya-jiin that deadly of an opponent?" 

"Rose is...slightly overreacting, Marigold, but they are not a   
foe to be underestimated. Their powerful ki techniques greatly   
enhance their fighting abilities, along with speed, reaction time,   
etc." 

"Would it be prudent to receive the upgrade then?" Violet   
spoke from the helm. "I didn't plan on going through the process,   
since I will not be making landfall." 

The captain shook his head. "Do what you feel is necessary,   
Marigold, Violet. The ki abilities and shields would help you defend   
yourself if you should be attacked. They can not be taken away   
from you, like the discs can. But remember, when we start to build   
and establish the Hive on Chikyuu, you will be down there, as well.   
We are to be the backbone of this Hive. Our journey ends here, in   
one way or another." 

The two junior officers stared at each other as the implications   
of their captain's words ran through their minds, several scenarios   
forming from stray thoughts and imagined hypotheses. 

After a moment, they turned back around to continue with the   
journey to their final destination: 

Chikyuu.   
  



	29. OBGYNor DANGER

**A Tail To Remember**   
**by Gie (phowahcs.com)**   


**A Tail To Remember**   
**Chapter Twenty-Eight: OB/GYN...or D-A-N-G-E-R?**

The next day dawned way too early for most members of the   
Capsule Corp residence, due to the growing storm that threatened to   
shake apart the sturdy building. A loud crack of lightning flashed in   
the sky, followed by the close rumbling of thunder as torrential rains   
plummeted to the ground. 

"Aaiiee!!" Akane screamed, sitting up rapidly, throwing her   
arms out in shock and surprise. 

"..." Ranma fell to the floor with a thud, having been thrown   
off the once-sleeping Akane. He shook his head sleepily, yawning   
widely. "Whazza matter, Akane?" 

She blinked a few times, looking around, not quite awake yet.   
"I...I don't know." Another crack of lightning and thunder shook   
through the room and Akane let out another scream, and she jumped   
up into a standing position on the bed. "Thunder- storm!" 

"You're scared of a little shower?" He blinked a few times   
from his position against the wall. He righted himself and rubbed at   
his eyes. 

"No, I'm not." She glanced at him, her hands making their way   
to her waist. "I just got...startled. It woke me up, okay?" 

"Whatever." He rolled his eyes and stood up, bending almost   
completely backwards in his stretching. "What time is it?" 

She glanced at the clock on the night stand. "Just after five."   
Another bolt of lightning illuminated the room, making it look almost   
as bright as day, sending a shiver up and down her spine. 

He touched the ground behind him, and kicking his legs over,   
did a complete flip. "Might as well stay up, then. This storm is going   
to be going on for quite awhile by the looks of it." He twisted at his   
waist a few times and kicked out his legs, warming up his sleepy   
muscles. 

Only for his foot to run into a wall of solid flesh as it   
connected with a wide-eyed Tobuma, who had just burst into the   
room. "Okaasan! Daijoubu? I heard you scream from down the hall!"   
He winced at the foot in his gut. "Oi, Otousan...what was that for?" 

"Gomen. You were in the way...an there's nothing wrong with   
Akane. She just got scared of the thunder." He smirked at his son. 

"Oh, I get it." Tobuma relaxed his stance. 

"I wasn't scared!" Akane yelled, her fists balling up in the   
sheets. 

The three stared at each other for several moments. "Uh,   
Otousan...can you get your foot out of my stomach?" 

"Oh yeah." Ranma grinned the still hunched Tobuma as he   
drew himself into a standing position. "But it was so comfortable   
there." He reached out and rubbed his hand through the long tousled   
locks of his future child. Tobuma stood up and batted his hands   
away. 

Akane rolled her eyes at the play fighting. "You two." 

Identical grins flashed across identical features. Tobuma,   
though, lost his as he blinked a few times in recognition. His face   
twisted into a grimace and his nose scrunched up in distaste. "You   
two are naked!" 

They glanced down at each other and both nodded. "Hai.   
There's no use wearing clothing to bed if there's no use for it."'   
Ranma flashed Tobuma a knowing grin. 

Which made him blush a deep red. "Oh, gross! I don't even   
want to think of that!" He slapped his hands over his eyes and bolted   
out of the room, slamming the door behind him. 

Akane giggled, shaking her head. "He's so embarrassed." 

"It's not like it's a new subject to him, ne?" Ranma jumped   
onto the bed, knocking Akane down in the process. "He has to know   
of our...activities. And you're the one that is bare-assed." He   
caressed the aforementioned warm flesh with a gentle hand. 

And she slapped his with a resounding crack that echoed the   
storm howling outside. "That was bad!" Her eyes drifted closed as   
she let him kiss her hard. "And he knows because you're a screamer." 

He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm the screamer? Who   
woke who this morning?" 

"Shut up, baka," she smirked and brought him down again,   
"and scream for me." 

Other side of the CC compound   


The lightning flashed several times, illuminating the naked pair   
that seemed to be one entity, curled in each other's arms as they   
stood on the protected balcony, watching Mother Nature create her   
symphony on the very early morning sky. 

The blue-haired genius flicked her eyes back and forth,   
watching the volts of raw energy streak across the black storm   
clouds. "The raw power of a storm always fascinated me, even as a   
child. Most children would go hide under their covers or crawl in with   
their parents, but I would be standing out here, watching the   
lightning. Several times my Otousan had to drag me inside by force   
because the threat of a tornado loomed in the distance." 

"This is not much of a storm," Vejiita scoffed into her   
shoulder. "There are planets out there where the entire atmosphere   
was ruled by the storms. Lightning struck everywhere. The thunder   
was deafening to the ears. The storms were so strong and dangerous   
that the inhabitants of the planet were forced to live underground   
where the storms wouldn't destroy the dwellings." 

She pushed herself gently out of his arms and moved further   
out on the balcony, becoming drenched within moments. "For awhile,   
I wanted to be a tornado-chaser. To be in the eye of the storm is to   
have Nature's most powerful and deadly force at your fingertips."   
She sighed, her slim arms wrapping around her chest; her eyes   
closing as she tilted her head back, letting the rain create large   
rivulets down her cheeks and turn her hair into sopping clumps. She   
shivered as a chill tickled her spine. "It's almost as potent as an   
orgasm." 

Vejiita snorted again, his eyes riveted to her sopping image as   
his senses read her emotions flooding through their Link. To her, the   
storms' power did almost have an orgasmic nature to them. A   
thought came to his mind and he decided to show her what real power   
could bring her. He stepped closer to her, wrapping an arm around   
her waist, drawing her close to him. He ducked his head and purred   
into her neck as he raised his ki to dry them and keep them from   
becoming wet again. "Power? You haven't felt true power, Onna." He   
continued to raise the level of his ki, stopping just below the breaking   
point of super saiya-jiin. "How's that for power, Onna?" 

Bulma's head was reeling. The headiness of the crackling ki   
sent her senses soaring. She could feel the pulse of literal power as   
she inhaled the ozone from the air. "Vejiita..." she groaned, leaning   
her head back and exposing her neck for him to devour. "Nice..." 

He smirked and flicked out his tongue, tickling the large vein   
that pulsed with her flowing blood. "You haven't felt anything, yet."   
With a deep growl, he flared into his ascended form, eyes flickering   
to a cool aquamarine, and his hair bleaching to a pale jasmine. 

Bulma let out a gasp, and her eyes rolled back in her head in   
ecstasy as Vejiita's power coursed through her, merging into herself   
through his aura, seeping into her pores and electrifying her inner   
core. "Oh, Kami, more, Otoko...more!" 

His grip on her tightened as he obeyed her request, powering   
up higher and higher, his growls turning into screams that melded   
with hers. The storm around them also heard her request, and   
lightning bolts crashed all around them, electrifying the air, turning   
the rain into steam. 

With one mighty flash of lightning, Vejiita impaled himself   
into Bulma from behind, and began to thrust into her with a   
maddening pace, his urges being driven by the recklessness of the   
storm raging around them, both being rendered senseless to all but   
the surge of instincts and the savagery of the Eye of Nature at its   
worst. 

As he spilled into his mate the life-giving seed he created,   
their shrieks climaxed in sync with the epitome of the storm. 

And then it was over. 

The thunder and lightning moved away, heading in other   
directions, to stimulate and excite other creatures, while the mating   
pair caught their breath from the experience they encountered. 

After a few moments of heavy panting, the female swallowed   
hard and summed up the whole experience with one word: 

"Damn!" 

A few hours later   


"Good morning, Bulma-chan! Doesn't the garden look lovely this   
morning? A good bout of lightning and thunder always does wonders   
for my blossoms." 

The tired female fell into a chair with a grunt. "You mean you   
slept through the storm of the century?" 

Mini Briefs giggled. "It did wake me a couple times, especially   
when Koneko was caterwauling in my ear, but I fell right back asleep.   
Although I think you weren't as lucky, ne, Bulma-chan? You look   
tired." 

"Well, I am." She opened her mouth for a jaw-cracking yawn.   
"The storm was neat, though. Lots of lightning." 

Dr. Briefs walked in. "That's for sure. One bolt hit one of the   
communication towers in town. The radio says that there are downed   
wires, trees, and debris everywhere. Be careful when you go into   
town today." 

Akane entered the room, dark bags under her eyes. "We have   
to, for our appointment." She sat down at the table and rested her   
head on her arms. "I'm not looking forward to it, that's for sure." 

"Me either," Bulma agreed, her head in a similar position,   
"although they are taking a sonogram today." 

"Is Serori-kun and Vejiita-kun going with you two?" Mini   
asked, setting several large cups of coffee in front of the girls. 

"Am I doing what?" Ranma asked as he, Tobuma, and Trunks   
walked in together. They had already had a morning workout. He sat   
down next to Akane and nudged her. She didn't move. He glanced at   
Tobuma, who just shrugged. Trunks rolled his eyes. 

"Ohiayo, Serori-kun," Mini greeted him with a smile. "Did you   
sleep better than the grumpy girls?" 

He shrugged. "I was doin' fine until Akane got scared." 

That woke her up. "I WAS NOT SCARED!" She jumped up   
from her chair, knocking it over in the process. She glared at her   
mate with visible fire in her eyes. 

Ranma's twinkled with mirth. He missed seeing her worked up   
like that. It was one of the reasons he fell for her, even before they   
remembered they were destined to be together. "If you say so,   
Hima-chan. But I wasn't the one screaming this morning." 

"Yes, you were, Otousan," Tobuma grumbled under his breath. 

Trunks grunted back at his cousin, his head in his hands. "I   
completely understand, Tobu-kun." 

"I didn't SCREAM!" Akane howled and pulled Ke'petik from   
behind her, swinging with all of her strength, "Ranma no BAKA!" and   
sent him sailing through the roof. 

"I didn't do nothin..." his voice cried out as he became a speck   
in the early morning sunshine. 

Vejiita caught the tail-end of the conversation when Akane   
cried out her infamous phrase and watched the arc with a narrowed   
eye. "That was a soft swing, Seiika. You're getting weak." He sat   
down next to Bulma. 

"Well, I haven't done it in awhile." She rolled her shoulder. 

"Actually, that felt pretty good! I should do that more often. I   
forgot how good of a stress reliever that is." She smiled at the   
giggling Bulma and sat back down, tucking her beloved mallet back   
into subspace. 

Mini Briefs was blinking up at the new skylight Akane installed,   
having not seen an example of her special...talents...before. "Oh my, I   
hope Serori-kun gets back before all the food is gone!" 

"Don't worry, Briefs-san," Akane smiled at the older woman as   
she sat back down, "he'll be back as soon as he can remember he can   
fly. Then he'll devour your delicious food like the pig he is." She   
frowned slightly but shook it off. 

The blonde female smiled happily. "Oh, good. I did make a lot   
of food this morning." As she talked, she set out the last of the   
buffet. "Did you want to wait for him to return?" 

She shook her head and started to pass the delicious dishes   
around the table, making a plate for herself and for Ranma. "That's   
okay." As she passed the food around, she caught a glimpse of   
Bulma's face, warily looking at the food. "Bulma-chan? Daijoubu?" 

She looked up from the piece of toast on her plate. "Maybe."   
She nibbled tentatively on a corner. "I feel pretty good so far this   
morning." She took a larger bite. 

"Haven't you been eating, Okaasan?" Trunks glanced up from   
his large mound of food, his eyes concerned. 

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's kind of hard to keep it   
down." 

Mrs. Briefs nodded. "When I was pregnant with you,   
Bulma-chan, the only thing that would stay down in the morning were   
crab-cakes, smothered with peanut butter." Bulma scrunched up her   
face at the food combination as she ate her single piece of toast. "I   
ate so many of them that I can't look at another one now without my   
tummy going queasy on me." 

"I finished a piece of toast," Bulma exclaimed, her smile   
getting bright, "with jam!" Akane giggled and clapped for her.   
"Arigato! I'd like to thank the Academy for this opportunity to   
consume that lovely piece of toast." She waved and patted at her   
eyes as the others chuckled. 

Vejiita, though, was not amused. He snorted and roughly   
pushed a plate down in front of her, heaping with waffles and many   
pieces of sausage. "Now eat the rest, Onna, before I shove it down   
your throat." 

She rolled her eyes and picked up a fork, stabbing it into a   
corner of a syrupy waffle. "You're no fun in the morning, Otoko."   
And breakfast continued as normal, the only interruption was when   
Ranma burst in through the door, his hair disheveled from his   
impromptu flight of the morning. He heavily sat down in his spot and   
began to devour the food piled high on his plate. No one paid him   
much mind. 

Soon the feast was packed away into many hungry stomachs,   
and plates and bowls were cleared from the table. "I'm so proud of   
you, Bulma-chan! You finished your entire plate!" 

"Uh, yeah, thanks, Kaasan," she rolled her eyes. "Do I get to   
go and play outside now?" She joined Akane in her giggles, but   
suddenly stopped, scrunching her face up and placing a shaking hand   
on her stomach. "Uh, maybe I'll just stay in." She quickly stood up   
and exited the room. 

Trunks blinked a few times after her, a worried look to his   
handsome features. "Where is she running to?" A particular sound   
was heard and everyone screwed up their faces in recognition. "Oh." 

Mini sighed, shaking her head. "And I thought she did so good!   
That was the most I've seen her eat in the mornings." 

No one saw the dark-haired male slip out of the room. He   
found his mate in a bathroom with her head resting on the cool tile   
floors. He leaned down and gently picked her up, with only a slight   
protest from the one he carried. 

"Vejiita? What are you doing?" 

He didn't answer until he reached their rooms, going straight   
into their private bathroom. Setting her down on the vanity softly,   
he reached for a cloth, and after he wet it with warm water, he   
spoke after he cleaned her face. "The other females speak as if this   
is a daily occurrence." 

She sighed, wilting under his attentions. "It has, actually.   
You're usually out in the gravity room by the time I get queasy. More   
than likely because I've been up for awhile already." She leaned her   
head forward, resting on his shoulder as his hand came around to rub   
her back. "I think I have the strongest stomach muscles now." 

A soft snort blew into her ear. "Why haven't you informed me   
of this?" 

"Did you really want to know that I've been tossing my cookies   
every morning?" She sat up, looking him in the eye. "Don't worry,   
pregnancy does this. It's not something unexpected, or anything.   
Although it is stronger than normal, but more than likely it's because   
the baby is stronger than normal." She grunted when she saw his   
smirk. "It's also due to the fact that my hormones are jumping   
completely off scale, as well." She narrowed her eyes as she spoke   
the next sentence. "I'm warning you now, that you'd better be   
prepared for some of the worst mood swings in the next few months" 

"As if you weren't mercurial already?" 

"They'll be five times more riotous and extreme. So don't get   
pissy on me." 

He snorted and looked down, placing a warm hand on the small   
swell. He spread his fingers and let his hand light with a small   
amount of ki. 

"Ah, that feels good, Vejiita," she closed her eyes and sighed. 

"The brat is growing; you need to eat much more to sustain   
both you and him." 

"I know! I do eat, just not much in the mornings." She opened   
her eyes and stared at him. "You've seen me eat in the evening. I eat   
more than you sometimes." She jerked, letting out a gasp. "Nani?   
What was that?" 

Vejiita's eyebrows furrowed. "His ki has risen slightly." He   
moved his hand over her stomach and concentrated. 

"Oh, there it is again!" She put a hand over his and moved it   
to her right side. "You what it is? I think it's the baby, kicking!" A   
small flutter pushed against Vejiita's hand and she grunted in   
response. "Yeah, that was definitely a kick." Her face was lit with   
her smile. 

He looked up at her, a smirk spreading across his features.   
"He will be a strong senshi." 

"Hai," she turned her warm smile to him, and brushed a hand   
over his cheek. "Just like his Papa, ne?" 

"Hn." He turned back to her stomach and let a small grin   
escape. "There will be no comparison." He straightened out and   
nipped Bulma on the nose as she wrapped her legs and arms around   
him. "He will be a legend among all Saiya-jiin." 

"If you say so, Otoko." The pair moved from the bathroom to   
the bedroom, where he laid them down on the mussed bed. "Otoko..."   
Bulma trailed off as her throat was being devoured by Vejiita's   
demanding lips. She squirmed in his arms. 

"Shush, Onna," he murmured into her flesh. 

"But, Vejiita, I gotta..." 

"I said quiet." He glared at her. 

She glared back. "But Vejiita, I gotta throw up again!" She   
covered her mouth and promptly rolled off her, and she made a very   
quick dash to the bathroom. Severe retching noise echoed back into   
his ears. 

He scrunched up his nose and was thankful that he didn't have   
to experience such things. A knock on the doorway tore his attention   
away from the other room. "Enter, Seiika." 

Akane entered, making her way through the sitting room and   
into the bedroom. "I thought you'd be out training, Vejiita-chan. The   
boys are there, already." A quick glance around told her the reason.   
"Bulma-chan? Are you okay in there?" 

A weak, "Hai," answered her back. The sound of water and a   
quick brushing followed. A slightly disheveled Bulma appeared a few   
moments later. "Yo, Seiika-chan," she sighed and fell onto the bed   
next to her unmoving mate. 

Akane grinned sympathetically at her sister in law. "Gomen,   
Bulma-chan. Maybe the doctor can give you some ideas on how to   
lessen the morning sickness." 

"I hope so." She burrowed her face into his chest and he just   
grunted, an arm coming up to lie over his eyes. "I'm tied of looking at   
the toilet bowl from the wrong end." 

"When do you think you'll be ready to go?" 

She sat back up. "I'm going to have to change again. I don't   
want to smell like vomit the rest of the day. Maybe half hour?" 

She nodded. "That's fine." She turned to the motionless lump   
on the bed. "Are you coming, Vejiita-chan?" 

"No." 

"Do you even know what I am talking about?" 

"No." 

"But you know you're not going." 

"Yes." 

Bulma rolled her eyes and swatted him on the leg. "Otoko no   
baka." She pushed herself up off the bed and disappeared into her   
closet, reappearing with a set of clothes. She moved into the   
bathroom to change and clean up. 

Akane whipped her tail at him in frustration. "Why not?   
Ranma is." 

"What are you talking about, Seiika?" He sat up irritably,   
crossing his arms in the process. 

"The doctor appointment. Are you coming or not?" She   
slapped him with her tail again. 

He counteracted with his own. "No." 

"Ranma is coming; are you chicken?" She challenged him. 

"I will not go to a female's doctor, Seiika. And that is that."   
He closed his eyes, further demonstrating the closure of the subject   
matter. 

"Che," she snorted, crossing her own arms in frustration.   
"Don't you want to see what your son looks like? Maybe he has five   
arms...or no tail!" 

"Five arms?" Bulma re-entered the conversation at that point,   
looking much better than before. She placed a wary hand on her   
stomach. "Five arms?" 

"Of course not, Bulma-chan," she immediately soothed the   
older female's worries. "I was just trying to get Vejiita to come with   
us to the doctor. Ranma is going, and I don't see why he can't." 

"Serori-kun is coming?" She flicked a look to Vejiita, who had   
gotten off the bed and was looking out the balcony's doors. 

"Hai. He actually wanted to go. I didn't have to bribe or   
threaten him." She threw a meaningful glance to her brother's back,   
but he ignored it. 

"That's okay, Seiika-chan," she waved her off. "I wasn't   
expecting him to come in the first place. That would mean he actually   
cared." 

He continued to ignore them and Bulma continued with a smirk.   
"Anyways, do you see him sitting in a waiting room with a bunch of   
other expecting females?" She shook her head. "No, I don't expect   
him to go to the doctor appointments, but he will attend Lamaze   
classes with me." Her tone quickly changed to a sheet of ice. 

Now he did turn around. "What in the hell is 'Lamaze'?" 

"You'll find out," she said mysteriously. 

Akane chuckled under her breath. "I'm going to try and scout   
out Ranma. I told him to wait in our room. Let's see if he actually   
listened for once." She turned to Vejiita. "Last chance, Ouji no   
baka." 

He just glared at her. She smiled and shook her head. "Your   
choice. I'll meet you in the front, Bulma-chan. Ja ne, Ouji-baka."   
She waved and closed the door behind her. 

He snorted again. "Damn Onna." 

"You two are so brother and sister it's funny." Bulma rolled   
her eyes and shouldered her purse. She got the same glare and just   
waved it off. "Stop it. Anyway, I don't mind you not coming. It is   
just an appointment. But you will be doing Lamaze with me." 

"Are you going to tell me what the hell is Lamaze?" he growled   
out. 

"You'll find out." She smirked and pecked him on the cheek.   
"Now be a good boy and make sure someone is monitoring the news,   
ne?" 

"Don't patronize me, Onna! I'm not your servant." 

"You will be when I can't stand up on my own any more, being   
so freaking fat with your 'heir'," she retorted back and left the room. 

"Blasted Onna!" he grumbled to the closed door and left as   
well, only via the balcony. 

Bulma had just decapsulized the aircar when Ranma and Akane   
joined her in the yard. "Here we are, Bulma-chan. I had to tear   
Ranma away from a movie." 

"I just got here myself," She smiled at them. "Ready to go?"   
She opened the driver door and climbed in, Ranma and Akane   
following her. The engine roared to life and the three were off. 

After fighting the morning traffic, the trio pulled into the   
parking lot, Bulma emerged first from the aircar, funning. "Did you   
see that guy cut me off? Ugh! The nerve of some drivers!" She   
slammed her door and stomped around in the puddles that filled the   
pavement. 

Akane held open the door for the shaking Ranma, who had   
never before experienced Bulma's driving skills. He leaned against   
the vehicle, holding his stomach. "Ugh..." 

Akane pulled on his arm impatiently. "Honestly! You'd never   
think you rode in a car before! You can handle rocketing through the   
air at sonic speeds, but you can't handle a few bumps in the road?"   
She yanked on his arm again and Bulma capsulated the car. "You are   
such a big baby." 

He scowled at her, yanking his arm out of her grasp. "When   
you fly through the air it's a lot smoother. And I read that one guy's   
lips that almost slammed into the side of the car. You should have   
heard what he said." 

A loud honking made him turn and face the same vehicle he   
just mentioned. "Hey!" He jumped out of the way of the reckless   
driver. "Watch it before I fry your ass!" The only response he got   
was a big splash from the puddle the crazy driver drove through. A   
cold, wet puddle. 

"Damn it!" Ranma screamed into the air as he shifted into his   
female form. 

"Come on, Ranma," Akane came back and pulled on his now   
soaked arm. "You can get some water inside. Bulma's registering us   
at the desk." 

They found a bathroom, and Ranma entered it female, and a   
minute later came out male. Using his ki to dry himself, the pair then   
sat down next to Bulma, who was already engrossed in a parenting   
magazine. She looked up. "The receptionist said that the doctor is   
running late already, due to the storm last night. It'll be about half   
hour." She returned to her reading. 

Ranma fell into a chair next to Akane and glanced around the   
large room listlessly. There were actually a lot of people sitting in   
the chairs, or talking to the various receptionist. Most looked like   
mothers that were pregnant, or they had very young children with   
them. He sighed and picked up a magazine of his own and opened it to   
a random page. 

A small jerk on his pant leg made up glance over the article on   
the advantages of breast feeding. He saw a little girl, about three   
years in age with a shock of black hair that stuck out everywhere.   
Large green eyes stared at him. "Ohiayo, chibi," he grunted and   
went back to reading. 

A minute later he felt another jerk on his leg, but ignored it.   
A third, more insistent yank made him drop the paper. "Nani?" The   
glared at the small child. 

Akane glanced up from what she was reading. "She's adorable,   
Ranma! Don't yell at her!" She gave the small urchin a gentle smile.   
"Kon'nichi wa, Chibi-chan." 

The little girl glanced from Akane to Ranma, and then tugged   
on Ranma's leg again. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "What do   
you want, little girl?" 

The child held out her hand, and Ranma noted that it was one   
of those toddler sippy cups. The unspillable cups. He sighed and   
glanced at her again. "It's a cup. Yay." 

Akane rolled her eyes. "I think she is offering to share,   
Ranma." 

"I'm not thirsty." 

The little girl offered the cup again, thrusting it into his   
hands. He took it helplessly. "What do I do now?" The girl pointed   
at it and grunted. 

"Just drink it, Ranma." Akane sighed. 

"Fine!" He glared at the girl and glanced at the cup. If it's   
breast milk I'm gonna gag." Slowly he put the small lid to his lips and   
jerked his head back, quickly downing the liquid. But much to Ranma's   
ire, he finally discovered the real reason why the girl was giving him   
the cup. 

He put the cover on tightly and handed it back to the small   
girl. "Now the cover is on tight." He sighed and wiped away the   
water from his once-again expanded chest. "Why does this always   
happen to me?" 

The little girl stared at the now female Ranma with wide eyes.   
"Mama..." she sniffled and let out a high-pitched scream as she ran   
away. "MAMA!" 

Both Akane and Ranma winced at the tone of the child's voice   
and watched as the black-haired imp flung herself into the arms of   
another black-haired female on the other side of the waiting room.   
The mother soothed her child with a look of confusion, glancing   
around to try and figure out why the child was screaming in horror.   
Ranma and Akane hurriedly buried their faces in their magazines. 

Bulma snickered behind hers. "Luck is just not on your side,   
ne, Serori-kun?" 

He shot her an icy look. "Ha ha. Very funny, Bulma." He   
threw down the magazine and stood up. "I'm going for more hot   
water." 

"Briefs Bulma and Saotome Akane." 

Akane shook her head, standing up. "There's no time, Ranma.   
You'll just have to go in like that." 

"But I'm a girl!" He protested as Akane drug him in through   
the door. 

"The doctor is on a tight schedule, Ranma. Now don't make a   
scene!" 

"Excuse me, but who are you?" The nurse stopped Akane and   
Ranma, her gaze locked on the redhead. "Only patients are allowed   
through this point." 

Automatically, he spit out, "Saotome Ranma." But as soon as   
the words passed his lips he flinched. "Uh, I mean..." 

The nurse, Eiga Tayori, a young female with bright hazel eyes,   
glanced quizzically down at the sheet of paper she held, then back up   
at the pair of 'females.' "But it says Saotome Ranma is your husband,   
Akane-san." She gave Ranma a good look, focusing on his chest and   
hips. 

She sighed. "He is my husband, Eiga-san. And this is him.   
Trust me." She nodded her head to get them moving once again. 

Tayori blinked a few times and her eyes widened as she   
realized that the two females were a real couple. "Oh! I see. Your   
husband." Both Ranma and Akane flushed at the stress and Bulma   
smothered a giggle. "Well, Fujinkai-sensei will be right in." She   
opened an exam room door and led the trio in. "Please remove all your   
clothing, except for your underthings. There are gowns on the   
bottom of the bed." She pointed to said items. "The doctor will be   
with you in a moment." She gave Ranma one last glance and closed the   
door behind her. 

"Damn it, Akane! I knew I should've turned back before we   
came in here!" Ranma huffed as he fell into a chair. 

Akane growled as she pulled off her shirt, throwing it in her   
mate's face. "Stop complaining, baka. Just use the faucet over   
there." She pointed to the one built into one wall. 

"Why don't you stay female, Serori? Then the doctor can   
check you out, as well." Bulma suggested, pulling the gown up over her   
shoulders. "You are completely female that way, ne?" 

Ranma stared at Bulma, his jaw dragging on the floor in shock.   
"I...I'm gonna ignore that, Bulma." He shook his head and turned to   
the sink, splashing himself with the warm water. "And if you ever   
mention something as ludicrous as that again, I will disown you as a   
sister in law." 

"Ranma," Akane spoke quietly, "it's actually not a bad idea."   
She held up a hand at his beginnings of protest. "It would be just a   
check-up, to make sure that you are healthy. In both forms, ne?" 

"I'm gonna ignore you, too." He shot her an icy glare, shaking   
the excess water out of his now black hair. "You know better than   
anyone, Akane, how well that would go over." 

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's just a suggestion." She   
turned around. "Can you tie these strings for me?" 

He did so, and turned to Bulma. "You want me to do it to you   
too?" She nodded and he moved over to her. "I can't believe you   
suggested that." He mumbled under his breath. 

"Give it up, Baby." Akane sighed, exasperated. 

The door opened, the nurse coming in once again. She was   
looking down at a piece of paper so she didn't see the substation at   
first. "All right, Saotome-san, why don't you step on the scale and we   
can get your weight." She looked up and jumped visibly when she saw   
the now male Ranma. "Who are you?" 

He smirked and shook his head. "Saotome Ranma, Akane's   
husband." 

"But, I thought..." she stared at him in shock. "You're even   
wearing the same clothing as her." 

"Like I said, Eiga-san," Akane said patiently, "that was my   
husband. So is he. They're the same person. Fujinkai-sensei had to   
have mentioned something to the affect of us being 'special' patients,   
ne?" 

"Hai," the nurse nodded slowly, "but she didn't mention   
anything like that." She shook her head and pointed to the scale.   
"Well, why don't we get your vitals taken care of first, Saotome-san,   
and then I'll do yours, Briefs-san." Bulma nodded. 

After that was taken care of for both females, Tayori left   
the room once again, stating that the doctor will be with them   
shortly. Dr. Fujinkai Suki, a woman in her late 40's with slightly   
graying temples, came in a few minutes later. She greeted the trio   
with a smile. "How are you ladies doing this morning? I'm sorry   
about the delay. We had a large tree fall down in our driveway, and it   
took quite awhile for me to get here." 

Akane smiled at the doctor. "That's quite all right,   
Fujinkai-sensei. We understand. I'd like you to meet my husband,   
Saotome Ranma." The pair acknowledged each other cordially. 

"Is he of your race, Saotome-san, or is he human?" 

Ranma uncurled his tail from his waist and wiggled it in the air.   
"I'm a full saiya-jiin, Fujinkai-sensei." 

She smiled, staring at the furry appendage. "I guess so." 

"I'm the only human, Fujinkai-sensei," Bulma spoke. "Well, me   
and you, that is. My husband is full saiya-jiin as well. He is also   
Seiika's twin." 

"Seiika?" Suki looked down at her medical chart. 

"Seiika is my birth name, Sensei. Akane is the name given to   
me by my Chikyuu parents." 

Suki marked that down with a nod. "I see. Well, according to   
the information you've given to me about your special case," at that   
moment, Tayori walked back in, pushing a cart that held a large   
machine. "Both of you are at the end of your first trimester. Have   
either of you had tenderness in the breasts or noticed any swelling?" 

"Hai," Akane nodded, and Bulma nodded as well. "I think I've   
gone up almost a cup size. 

"Yeah," Bulma added. "Going down a flight of stairs is   
murder." 

Suki nodded. "That's to be expected. They're getting ready   
for lactation. Don't be surprised if you start secreting a   
yellow-tinged liquid. Your body is just letting you know that it's   
ready for you to nurse." 

"That's the pericardium, right, Fujinkai-sensei?" Ranma   
blurted out. 

All three females turned to him. "That's correct,   
Saotome-san." Dr. Fujinkai said. 

"Nani?" He crossed his arms and glanced down at the floor.   
"I just read about it in that magazine article." Akane grinned and   
shook her head. 

Suki grinned back at Akane. "What about morning sickness?" 

"Don't even get me started with that one," Bulma groaned. "I   
can't keep anything down before noon! And then, for supper, I eat   
more than anyone else." 

Suki smiled sympathetically. "It will start getting better,   
soon, Briefs-san. Your hormones are flying out of control and one   
side affect of that is the queasy stomach. Just be patient with it."   
She wrote something on a piece of paper. "I'm going to put you on   
heavy-duty vitamin supplements. When you start eating normally, I'll   
lower the dosage, but for now you'll need to pump up." She handed   
Bulma the piece of paper. 

Dr. Fujinkai stared at the two females. "In the next   
trimester, or well, two months for you two, your baby is going to be   
doing some serious growing. The fetus is fully formed; the leg and   
arm buds are complete as well with everything else it needs. More   
than likely you've noticed some thickening around your waist and are   
starting to think about maternity clothes, but that's to be expected.   
Also, the fetus will start becoming active soon." 

Bulma raised her hand excitedly. "Ooh! Vejiita and I felt   
Trunks-chan move this morning!" 

"You did?" Akane squealed, clapping her hands. "How   
exciting!" 

She nodded. "Hai! Vejiita had a ki hand on my stomach, and   
he said Trunks' ki level was going up, and then we felt it! He shifted,   
or kicked, or something. It felt really odd, having something move   
inside me." 

"Ki?" Nurse Eiga blinked a few times in confusion. "What are   
you talking about?" 

The three glanced between each other. Akane sighed and   
started explaining a few things to the oblivious nurse. "Eiga-san, you   
know that we are," she glanced at Fujinkai out of the corner of her   
eye, "special patients, ne?" 

She nodded. "Hai. Fujinkai-sensei said that you had a   
different circumstances, but she didn't go into details." 

The doctor shrugged her shoulders. "Well, actually I didn't   
know where to start." 

"That's okay, Fujinkai-sensei," Akane nodded. "Eiga-san, can   
you keep a secret?" 

"Hai. Doctor-patient confidentiality is written into the   
medical code." She nodded firmly, then scratched her head. "Is this   
something bad? Like I will regret hearing about it?" 

"No, nothing like that. It's just sort of, unbelievable, I guess."   
Bulma smiled. "You see, Eiga-san, Serori and Seiika here, along with   
my husband, are aliens called Saiya-jiin. Their planet was destroyed   
a long time ago and they were sent here as young children. My   
husband arrived a few years ago. All of the survivors are here on   
Chikyuu, although that number doesn't even number in the double   
digits." 

The nurse blinked. "Aliens." Bulma, Ranma and Akane nodded.   
"From outer space." Dr. Fujinkai nodded as well. "Not Chikyuu-jiin."   
They all nodded again. Tayori sighed and shook her head. "Well,   
that's something you don't expect to hear when you wake up in the   
morning." The others chuckled a bit. 

"Well, now that Eiga-san has been enlightened," Suki smiled at   
her dazed nurse, "why don't we move on to the sonogram? Who wants   
to go first?" Tayori blinked and started to prepare the sonogram   
machine. 

Akane and Bulma shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me." 

"Me either." 

"Well, then why don't you go first, Bulma-san, since I have   
your medical chart in front of me at the moment." She patted the   
cloth-covered exam table. "Hop on up here, and Eiga-san will apply   
the gel." 

Bulma did so, and Tayori spread the cool opaque cream over   
the slightly protruded part of Bulma's stomach. "Now, let's take a   
peek and see what we can find." She placed the wand over her   
stomach, and everyone turned their attention to the small screen   
imbedded in the sonogram machine. 

Almost immediately, a soft, rhythmic 'whooshing' sound was   
heard. "What's that noise?" Bulma asked. 

"That is your baby's heartbeat." 

Bulma let out a soft sigh. "It's so fast!" 

"Well, it is working very hard," Suki noted. "It is completely   
formed, but now it just needs to grow." 

Tayori was frowning, and she checked a few dials to make sure   
the setting were correct. They were, but something was setting her   
off-balance. "Sensei, are you sure you have it in the right spot?" 

"Hai, I'm positive, Eiga-san. Is there something wrong?" 

She nodded. "That's not a normal heartbeat. It sounds like   
it's going way too fast, even for a fetus." Bulma sucked in a breath. 

"I know why," Akane jerked her head up. "When I was   
younger, the doctors all thought I had an irregular heartbeat, too.   
They took some x-rays, and found out that I have an extra chamber   
in my heart, and my heartbeat sounded like three beats, instead of   
the normal two. They wanted to operate on me, but my parents   
refused." She shook her head at the memory. "They told them that   
since it was working normally, and it actually was better for me, since   
it pumped the blood through me that much better, that an operation   
was not necessary. Good thing too, ne?" 

Ranma put a hand over his heart, his eyes wide. "I have the   
same thing! I never noticed it before." 

Bulma nodded. "Son-kun and Vejiita also have the triple-beat.   
And you're right, Seiika. Saiya-jiin have a five-chambered heart.   
Their bodies need more blood to function, and the extra ventricle   
pumps more blood out, hence the triple beat. You also have a denser   
bone skeleton, thicker muscle mass, and two extra vertebrae in your   
lower spine." 

Ranma let his tail uncurl from his waist. "They're in here, ne?"   
Bulma nodded in agreement. 

Tayori jumped at the unfamiliar appendage. "You have a tail!" 

Akane waved her own. "As do I. It's the most distinguishing   
physical characteristic for a saiya-jiin." 

Dr. Fujinkai cleared her throat. "Well, now that the mystery's   
solved, I thought Bulma-san here would want to see what her baby   
looks like." As all eyes swiveled and focused on the monitor, she   
pointed to the small fuzzy blob on the screen. "As you can see here,   
here's the head, and the arms, and legs. All physical features are   
there: the eyes, nose, mouth, fingers, toes." She traced a line on the   
screen. "Here's the spinal column." 

"Oh, Trunks-kun is so adorable, Bulma-chan!" Akane gushed at   
her sister in law. "Look at his little tail stub!" Ranma rolled his eyes. 

"Trunks? You know the fetus' sex?" Tayori frowned. 

"Hai, Vejiita told me it the minute he realized I was pregnant.   
That's how we knew so early." Bulma said, her eyes glued to the small   
form on the screen. She could see the definite Saiya-jiin character-   
istics that Vejiita passed down, and she saw evident in the future   
version. The obvious slope of his forehead, the upturned nose, the   
slanted eyes. The child she carried was definitely Trunks. She   
turned to the doctor. "Can I get a picture of this?" 

"How about something better?" She set the wand down, and   
pushed a button, ejecting a tape. "Here's a copy of the video you just   
saw." 

"Arigatou, Fujinkai-sensei," Bulma eagerly took the tape into   
her hands. "Trunks now gets to see what he looked like!" 

Akane chuckled. "Can I get a copy of ours?" 

"Hai, Akane-san," Suki nodded and they saw Tayori put in   
another blank tape. "Ready?" 

"Hai!" Bulma had gotten down, so Akane moved into her place.   
Tayori applied the cool gel and soon the odd triple-beat echoed in the   
room. Suki pointed out the same features, and they all 'oohed and   
aahed' over each part, cooing at the cute little tail stub. 

Ranma had been very quiet throughout the entire time, his   
eyes riveted on the screen as he took in the small form he and Akane   
created together. The product of their Bonding. Thinking to   
himself, an idea struck him. "Sensei, can I try something?" He asked   
Suki. 

She glanced at Ranma, then at Akane, who had a curious look   
on her face. "What are you going to do, Ranma-san?" Her voice had a   
wary tone. This was the first time she had met the father. 

He shook his head. "Nothin' bad, I assure you. I just want to   
see if Tobuma has a reaction." He glanced at Akane. "Can I?" 

She nodded, knowing what he was going to do. "Go ahead." He   
smiled at her in appreciation. Reaching out with a ki-lit hand, Ranma   
placed it on Akane's stomach, and flicked his smoky blue gaze to the   
monitor. Everyone let out a gasp as a dim light filtered through onto   
the screen. They watched as the fetus slightly shifted and a hand   
moved toward the soft glow. "Ranma..." Akane placed her hand upon   
his, and the glow inside intensified. The fetus shifted even more. 

"He knows our ki already," Ranma muttered in awe. 

Suki marveled along with the happy pair. "I have never seen   
such a conscious reaction this early in gestation." 

Ranma and Akane's hands dimmed, and the glow diffused on   
the monitor. They watched as the fetus' hand slowly drifted back   
against the small body. "His ki level went up when he moved," he said   
to Akane quietly. 

"I felt it," she nodded back. Her gaze locked with Ranma, and   
both felt a crushing tsunami of love and affection swarm each other. 

Dr. Fujinkai ejected the tape and handed it to Akane. "Here's   
your copy of the fetus." She directed her gaze to Ranma. "That's an   
amazing trick you just performed, Ranma-san." 

He shook his head. "It was no trick. It was how we knew   
Akane was pregnant. The ki of the baby detects and reacts against   
the opposing ki. It's also how we know that he's still alive in there."   
He straightened out and took the tape from Akane. "I'm gonna go   
wait in the waiting room." He bowed to Suki. "Arigato, sensei." He   
gave Akane a kiss on the forehead and left the room quietly. 

Tayori turned doe eyes to Akane. "I just have to tell you,   
Saotome-san, your husband is adorable!" 

"Uh, thanks," Akane blinked. 

About half a hour later, Ranma jerked his head up from the   
magazine he was reading when he felt Akane's ki near him. "Yo," he   
reached out and grasped one of her hands, pulling her down onto his   
lap. "So did she say anything else?" He placed a small kiss on her   
temple. Several people in the waiting room that noticed the display   
of affection let out a 'aww,' to which Ranma blushed hotly. 

"Nothing much. She gave me a physical, and noted that I've   
gained five pounds already," she frowned and glanced down at her   
stomach. "She said that everything was fine with me and Tobuma.   
She also gave me a prescription for some vitamins and such." 

Bulma came up to them, holding a large bottle in one hand.   
"Look at the size of these pills I have to take!" She held several   
large, grey pills. "They look like dinosaur eggs!" Both Ranma and 

Akane laughed at the exasperated look on Bulma's face. She stuck   
out her tongue at them in retaliation. "So, are we ready to go?" 

Akane stood up, pulling Ranma with her. "Hai! Did you still   
want to go to the mall?" 

She nodded. "Hai. I need to pick up some things for Trunks'   
nursery, and I need to start looking for maternity clothes. My   
normal tailor opened a shop in the mall, so I have to check with him on   
the status of what I already ordered." 

A loud growl made Bulma and Akane turn to Ranma. "Can we   
eat, too?" The magic word was spoken, and a trio of rumbling settled   
that topic. 

They walked out to the parking lot and Bulma exploded the   
capsule that contained the aircar. "There's a new steak joint in the   
mall. Why don't we go there." 

The three climbed into the car, Ranma with some prodding and   
a promise from Bulma to be a more careful driver, and they were off   
to the mall. 

After traipsing around for several hours, going from store to   
store, the three fell tiredly into a booth at the restaurant. Their   
stomachs, sensing they were near food, had started up a symphony of   
rumbles and the trio quickly ordered mass quantities of food to deter   
the noises. 

Akane made a face as Ranma stuffed rolls down his throat in   
his ravenous attempt to quiet his stomach. "Slow down! You're going   
to choke!" She pulled away the basket so he wouldn't get anymore. 

"I'm just so hungry!" he whined, chewing his mouthful. 

"You sound just like Son-kun, Serori," Bulma laughed as she   
spread butter on the roll on her plate. "Vejiita can get that way, but   
only after he starved himself by locking his fool rear in the gravity   
chamber for several days." 

"Well, I've seen you go primal on a pizza once or twice,   
Bulma-chan," Akane reminded her, "especially after doing the same   
thing, only in your lab. Actually, you just did that a couple weeks   
ago." 

A faint blush covered Bulma's cheeks as she realized she was   
caught. "Well, I was working on that assimilation disc, and I didn't   
want to stop." 

"Have you found anything helpful for the humans?" 

"Maybe," she nodded her head, "but it will take a lot of   
research on my part to try and discover the nanoprobes programming.   
I thought that if I could re-program them to undo the damage they   
caused, then they'd turn a drone back to human. But what I   
discovered is that the probes are programmed before they are even   
placed in the discs. So I would have to devise some sort of main   
dispatch outlet for them." She shrugged her shoulders. "But the   
best thing I can think of, that is the most plausible would to create   
my own nanoprobes. But that will take a lot of time." 

The food arrived in several waves, and food devouring noises   
reigned the conversation. Once the initial hunger pains were   
satisfied, consumption slowed so they were able to make conversation   
once again. 

And Ranma was the one to initiate it. "Hey, Bulma, I have a   
question for you." 

"Shoot, Serori-kun." 

"Well, yesterday me, Tobuma, and Trunks were talking about   
how it's so freaking hard to detect the drones and when they attack.   
I was thinking that it we had some sort of device to detect where   
they were, it would be helpful." 

"Of course it would, Ranma," Akane rolled her eyes, "but we   
can't even detect them ourselves. What good would a mechanical   
device be?" 

"Well, I was getting to that," he stuck out his tongue. "I   
mentioned something like the Dragon radar would be ideal." Bulma's   
eyebrows perked up at the mention of her favorite invention. "And   
when I asked Trunks if his mother created something like that in his   
timeline, he said he didn't know. But I was wondering if something   
like that would actually be possible." 

Bulma thought for a minute. "Well, we would have to find   
something unique to the Hachi that we could pick up on a radar of   
some sort. The Dragonballs give off a low-level magnetic pulse that I   
was able to tune my radar on them only." 

"Do the Hachi have any sort of pulse that we would be able to   
use?" Akane asked. 

"I don't know," Ranma shook his head. "And the only   
suggestion that I could think of to figure it out would be to capture a   
drone from one of the battles and bring it back." He waved off the   
exclamations that he knew were coming. "I know, I know. they shot   
it down right away, too. But it's the only thing I could think of at the   
moment. I thought I'd bring it up to you, Bulma, since you're used to   
thinking about such things." He smiled and dug right back into his   
food. 

Bulma pushed away her plate, and pulled out a pen to write on   
her placemat. "Well, if we can't bring one of the drones to us, then   
we'll have to go to one of the drones, ne?" Quickly, she scribbled   
down formulas and sketches. I bet if I modify my spare radar we can   
try and see if the drones have anything of use to us. Although, it   
probably will have to be fairly close to one of them to detect the   
right things we need." 

Far away, a scream was heard, and Ranma and Akane both   
jerked their heads in that direction. "What was that?" 

Bulma shook her head. "Sounded like some teenager   
discovering the sale at Flancie's." The saiya-jiin glanced at each   
other then continued to eat. 

But another scream, closer this time caught their attention   
once again. All three looked up and watched as a large crowd of   
people ran past the windows of the restaurant. "What is going on?"   
Akane spoke, standing up to look out the window. "Everyone is   
running away from something." 

Ranma came up next to her. "Maybe Godzilla-sama is taking   
advantage of the sale at the pet store." Both chuckled quietly. 

A flash of green halted their mirth. They turned to each   
other, faces stony. 

"Hachi."   



	30. Attack of the Clones

**A Tail To Remember**   
**by Gie (phowahcs.com)**   


**A Tail To Remember**   
**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Attack of the Clones ()**   
****

Ranma quickly switched his demeanor to battle mode. "Bulma,   
call home and let them know we have a full-scale Hachi attack in   
process." She nodded and backed away, pulling out a cell phone in the   
process from her purse. 

He turned to Akane, who also had a serious look to her face.   
"Go to the other end of the mall and try to get as many people out as   
possible." He pointed to a pharmacy down the hallway a pace. "Grab   
as much medical supplies as possible and treat the wounded." He   
started to run the opposite way down the hall, weaving in an out of   
the mass of people trying to escape. 

"Where are you going?" Akane demanded. 

He turned around and levitated in the air, since his attempt to   
travel on the ground was getting him nowhere, fast. He also noted   
that the crowds were beginning to thin out. "Where do you think?   
To stop the Hachi, Akane." 

"Alone? You need me to help you!" She rose up to meet him at   
his height. 

"Iie!" He growled at her, eyes flashing. "You are needed at   
the other end, Akane. Don't argue with me!" He flared his aura and   
streaked above the mad crowd's heads. 

Her own aura flashed in anger. "Damn it, Ranma! Get back   
here!" 

"He's right, Seiika," Bulma said, pulling on the higher female's   
leg, bringing her down to her level. "Besides, you wouldn't want to   
endanger Tobuma-chan, ne?" 

Akane stared in the direction that Ranma flew off for several   
tense moments. "Fine," she sighed, and made her way over to the   
pharmacy, Bulma following her. "Let's gather as much as possible.   
Who knows what the people have done to themselves." 

She nodded and snagged up as many bandages and medicinal   
things her arms could hold. "It's worse than what we think, Seiika."   
She explained when Akane gave her a look of confusion. "I talked to   
my mother, and she said that both Trunks and Tobuma were sent out   
in response to a raid." 

"What about Vejiita?" 

"She didn't know where he was. The last time she saw him was   
out in the gravity chamber." She grabbed a large bag and tossed her   
pilfered goods inside. "I tried calling to him through our Link, but   
when he trains hard like that, he keeps all of his walls firmly in   
place." She glanced down the mall's corridor, seeing a faint green   
glow intermixed with a yellow one. "Is Serori super saiya-jiin?" 

Akane grabbed Bulma around her waist with her free hand   
"Hai Come on, we'll get outta here faster if we fly." The pair   
levitated and Akane shot off like a rocket. 

They set down at the large entrance of the far end of the   
mall and tried valiantly to simmer down the extreme emotions that   
radiated all around them from the hysterical humans. "Calm down,   
please!" Akane yelled out, helping an older lady up from where she   
was being trampled under the stampede. 

"You're only making it worse! Please calm down and move   
through the doors in an orderly fashion!" Bulma tried directing   
traffic, but was unsuccessful as she got swept through the open   
doors, finding herself outside in the noonday sun. "Damn it! It's like   
trying to control a herd of sheep when they spotted a pack of   
wolves!" 

Akane emerged from the river of streaming bodies a few   
moments later, a black scowl covering her face. "Then let them   
trample themselves to death." She sighed and shook her head.   
"Gomen, almost everyone is out, anyway." She pointed to a quiet   
corner. "Let's set up over there." Soon, they started to receive   
'patients', and bandaged them up as much as possible. 

Suddenly, Akane shot up her head. "Heads up! We've got   
reinforcements!" 

Bulma glanced up into the air, blinking as the sun blinded her.   
She soon recognized the two fuzzy shapes flying closer to their   
location. "It's Kuririn and Piccolo!" She waved to catch their   
attention, and they landed in front of their small triage. "Thank Kami   
you're here!" 

Piccolo nodded at the females. "Hachi?" he rumbled. 

Akane nodded, not looking up from the cleaning of a nasty   
wound on a small girl. "Hn. Ranma is in there by himself, but I don't   
know how many made the initial attack. We were eating lunch at the   
time it happened." 

"Tobuma and Trunks are at one attack, as are Gohan and   
Goku," Kuririn explained. "We got here as soon as we could." 

"Where's Vejiita?" Bulma asked. 

"He's the one that sent me here to help," Kuririn said,   
scratching at his bald head. "When he felt Serori's ki spike, he told   
me to go and help. He said he was going to stay there in case another   
attack happens. I found Piccolo on my way." 

"What are you standing around for? Go help him!" Akane   
growled, finally looking up. "I will join you as soon as I can." 

Bulma shook her own blue-haired head. "No, Seiika-chan. You   
know Serori will kill you if I let you go. Then he'll kill me." 

"I'd rather be killed by Ranma than have him get killed by the   
Hachi." 

"Right," Piccolo nodded somberly. "Let's go, Kuririn." The   
pair disappeared through the doors. 

"Well, I feel better now that we have a few more here on our   
side. There you go. Make sure you have a real doctor take a look at   
that." She smiled at the young lady whose arm she just wrapped in   
gauze. 

"Maybe." Akane glanced around, something setting off her   
senses. "Something, though, is just not feeling right." 

A scream from the parking lot caught her attention. "Kuso."   
Akane stood up quickly and ran in the direction of the scream. What   
she found was four people stuck in one of the green paralysis beams,   
although two already had discs attached to their chests and were in   
the mutating stages. "Damn it!" She raised a hand lit with ki and let   
the ball fly toward the pair of drones emitting the green beam. 

One of them caught the ki and sent it back just as fast as it   
arrived, but it did its job of distracting the Hachi Drones. She   
dodged the volley of ki, feeling the searing heat as it grazed past her   
arm. She let out a grunt of pain and yelled, launching a leg into the   
head of the closest Drone. It jerked with the momentum, staggering   
off to the side. She dodged a swing of two separate arms from the   
other Drone, and flipped around to kick the second Drone into the   
first, bowling them both over. Taking advantage of the distraction,   
she sent out a large ki blast to the two semi-human Drones that were   
now unparalyzed. It quickly disintegrated them. 

Akane turned wide glowing eyes to the remaining pair of   
untouched human girls who were clutching at each other in stark   
terror. "Run, now!" They did, screaming the entire way. She turned,   
falling into a defensive stance as she saw the pair of Drones charging   
her way. Reaching behind her into her subspace pocket, she pulled   
out Ke'petik, the mallet glowing brightly with infused ki. "All right   
you over grown bugs, let's see what you've got!" The pair of Drones   
launched themselves at her and within several intense minutes, a few   
well-placed swings and blasts of ki, the Drones were history. 

She panted, leaning her hands on her knees as she bent over   
to regain her breath. "I definitely am getting weak! Those things   
shouldn't have made me so tired!" She stood back up and put Ke'petik   
away. 

"For a human female, you did plenty of damage." 

Akane whirled around, immediately falling into a protective   
stance. "Nani?" Her eyes darted around frantically to find the   
unknown voice. She looked up to discover the owner of the deep   
voice, her eyes immediately narrowing into thin slits of black irises.   
"Hachi! I didn't know you could talk!" 

The black-faced Hachi nodded from his spot in the air. "Only   
when we have something important to say. We are capable of many   
things." Slowly he lowered himself to the ground with his whirring   
wings, looking her up and down critically as he made his decent.   
"Interesting. I have not encountered a female in other gatherings   
here on Chikyuu." 

"Gatherings?" She sputtered, her face awash in rage. "More   
like raids!" The Hachi shrugged at the definition. Akane just burned   
in anger more. "Well, it will be your last time!" She launched herself   
at the black and white creature, extending an arm for a heavy punch   
to the jaw. 

The Hachi quickly evaded the strike, and retaliated with a   
swift double kick to her side, sending the female sprawling to the   
ground. "I can see why you haven't been seen at the other   
gatherings, female." He ducked a ball of ki, letting it fly away over   
his shoulder. "Haven't the others warned you about using ki?" He   
held up his arm to let the disc attached there catch another volley of   
deadly energy. "You'll get it right back!" With an underhand toss,   
the ball of light was returned to its owner. 

Akane growled as she batted her ki away, ignoring the searing   
flames from the exploding car. "You'll pay for all of the innocent lives   
you stole from Chikyuu! They are not yours to play with." She yelled   
out and renewed her attack at the Hachi, fist and feet blurring in   
her attempt to remove the threat. 

For several minutes the only witnesses to the monumental   
battle between saiya-jiin and drone were the empty cars that filled   
the parking lot. 

Finally, they broke away from each other, Akane panting   
heavily, a sheen of sweat covering her angry and flushed features.   
"Damn you, Hachi! Why don't you just up and die? What do you want   
from us?" 

The Hachi wasn't squeaky clean either. There weren't many   
outward signs of hard battle, except for the one missing antennae   
and ripped wing. "You do put up a valiant fight, female." It   
straightened itself up. "My name is Daisy, and I am a second rank   
officer on the Starship Tokemonu. What we want is simple. Live. To   
propagate our species, just like any other being out there. The need   
to procreate is strong within us, but we lack the physical capabilities   
to do so." The remaining antennae twitched and started to glow a   
lime green and Akane took a few staggering steps back. "You will   
make an excellent warrior drone, female." 

All Akane saw was a bright flash of green. 

"NNNNOOOO!" She screamed and tried to get away. "I   
won't!" She powered up, higher and higher, breaking the threshold   
for super saiya-jiin with her screams of defiance. 

"Yellow aura?" Daisy blinked. "But the only ones that..." He   
gave her a hard stare and noticed the extra golden appendage curled   
around her waist. "Saiya-jiin! You're a Saiya-jiin!" 

"Hai!" Akane opened her teal eyes, glaring at him murderously.   
"I am Saiya-jiin and damn proud of it. Prepare to die!" She slammed   
her hands together, thumbs wrapping around each other and her   
fingers splayed in a butterfly pattern. A small pinprick of ki formed   
in the space between her index fingers and grew exponentially larger   
with each passing second: "Catatonic Symphony!" 

"Foolish female! You set your own death with that!" Daisy   
brought both arms together, the assimilation discs touching to   
gather as much ki as possible. He quickly found out that the discs   
would not hold it all. A thought struck him as he struggled to contain   
the ki. She is very strong! If this female is saiya-jiin, could she be   
the one we are looking for? Could she be the new Queen? I must   
inform Iris of this! If I kill her, or attempt to assimilate her, Iris   
would have my head... With a shout of his own, Daisy pushed away   
the ki he accumulated in his discs, which was about to explode in his   
face, and dodged the remaining, attempting to avoid the excess by   
flying into the air, his escape hindered slightly by his damaged wing. 

"Kuso!" Akane leapt into the air after him, her rage boiling   
over. "Come back here and face your death, Hachi!" 

Daisy paused in his escape and turned to face the raging   
Akane. "Not today, Seiika-sama, but there will be a next time." He   
bowed slightly and shot off into the distance. 

Akane was stunned, watching the Hachi leave with a pole-axed   
look to her face. "Nani? How did he know my name? No one even   
knows I'm alive..." She remained floating in the air, staring after the   
black dot on the horizon until it disappeared completely. She was   
brought back to her senses when she heard her name being called   
out. 

"Seiika! Seiika!" She looked down to see Bulma waving at her. 

"Nani?" She slowly floated down, her face clearly showing her   
confusion and irritation. 

Bulma blinked at the sharp retort. "Oh...I need your help with   
the wounded. What happened? Where did you go?" 

She sighed, dropping out of super, her midnight-blue hair   
falling down to once again brush against her shoulders and her eyes   
darkening to deep brown. "I heard screams and when I went to go   
see what was going on, I found some girls being attacked by a pair of   
Drones. I destroyed them, and then another came." She glanced at   
the horizon again, her keen eyesight not picking up a trace of the   
escaped Daisy. She turned back to Bulma, her expression serious. 

"They can talk. They are completely sentient beings, Bulma. I   
carried on an intelligent conversation with it. With Daisy," she   
stressed the naming of the Hachi officer. "And they know my name.   
_My Saiya-jiin Name_." She crossed her arms and turned toward the   
doors of the mall, walking back to the small medical area they had set   
up. 

"It called you Seiika? But how would it know? Why would it   
know?" 

"Exactly my point. Somehow it realized I was the Saiya-jiin no   
Oujo. At first it thought I was human, but I think it noticed my tail,   
which is usually a dead giveaway." 

"Or you going Super," Bulma suggested. 

Akane frowned. "But, still, it shouldn't have known who I am!   
It could've thought I was just some rogue female...or something."   
She frowned deeper, perplexed by the new information discovered. 

"Well, we will have to worry about it later," Bulma brought   
her out of her thoughts. "Right now, we need to take care of these   
people." She smiled at the older lady, whose ankle she was wrapping.   
"There, ma'am. Please, have a doctor look at this personally." The   
lady nodded her thanks and hobbled away. "Can you tell if they're   
still fighting in there?" 

Akane turned toward the doors of the mall, her eyebrows   
furrowed in concentration. "It's not as intense as it was before, but   
I think they're almost done." At that moment, Kuririn appeared   
through the set of doors, a large dark spot forming across one eye. 

"Kuririn! What happened?" Bulma jumped up and catching his   
arm, pulled her friend down to their small triage area. 

"Oh, this," he waved off Bulma's attentions, and got a slap on   
the back of his head for the effort. "One of the Hachi caught me   
off guard. It'll be fine in a few days." He pushed away the lotions   
and bandages Bulma tried applying. 

"Kuririn! Let me help!" 

"It's okay, Bulma! I've taken worse!" 

Akane chuckled at the pair, the situation lightening her mood   
slightly. "So, are they gone?" 

"Hai, Seiika-san," Kuririn answered her, sighing when Bulma   
placed a Band-Aid on his cheek. "Ooh, I feel better already!" Bulma   
just snorted at his sarcasm. "Serori and Piccolo are just playing   
clean-up crew. They should be out in a minute or so." 

"Well, I'm glad that you got here when you did, Kuririn,   
otherwise we probably would have been in trouble." Bulma smiled at   
her old friend. 

He nodded back. "I had just gotten to Capsule Corp, well me,   
Gohan and Goku, when Trunks and Tobuma shot off into the sky.   
They headed to an attack that the news reported about, somewhere   
in Australia. Goku and Gohan came into CC and found Vejiita watching   
the news and he said that there was another raid going on in Europe.   
Goku and Gohan headed out to that one, and then we felt Serori's ki   
spike. Vejiita pushed me right back out the door, telling me to go   
help Serori. And en route to here, Piccolo was flying through the sky.   
He felt Serori's ki jump up as well." 

"I wasn't that far away, so I decided to see what was going   
on." Everyone turned to see Piccolo come outside with two small   
children clutched under his arms. "Serori will be out in a minute," he   
nodded to Akane as he set down the unconscious children. "He went   
to grab more medical supplies." Akane nodded back. 

"Here, Kuririn, call an ambulance." She tossed him her cell   
phone and he easily caught it. "One of these children more than   
likely has a concussion by the bump on his forehead, and I can't do   
anything about that. Besides, some of these people should really go   
to the hospital to get their injuries checked out. We can only do so   
much with this stuff." 

"Sure thing, Bulma." 

Ranma emerged a minute later, a large bag full of medicinal   
supplies in one hand, and his other around an old lady's waist. She   
had a large gash on her forehead and blood was trickling down her   
cheek. Bulma right away led the elder female to the side and began   
to clean and patch her up. Akane glanced at him and immediately   
could tell he needed medical attention, as well. "You're hurt!" 

He nodded and slowly sat down next to her. "My ribs. Think I   
cracked a couple when I went through a steel girder. Man, some of   
those drones can pack a punch." 

She slowly felt out his chest, immediately finding the tender   
areas by the way his muscles flinched. "Well, for sure there's a   
broken one. More than likely a few more are cracked. I can wrap up   
your chest for now, but you'll need to be scanned in the med. ward."   
Ranma nodded. She unbuttoned the shirt he wore, slowly pulling it   
off his muscled frame so not to anger his pain any more than needed.   
Using a handy scissors, she snipped off the tight shirt underneath. A   
hiss escaped her lips when the purpling along his side came into view.   
"Damn. That looks bad. I hope you don't have any internal bleeding."   
She grabbed one of the thick bandages and tightly wrapped his   
ribcage, wincing every time a hiss of pain escaped. After she was   
done, and slid his buttoned shirt over his arms and around his torso,   
she gave him a peck on the cheek. "There, all done. Nurse Akane to   
the rescue." 

He pouted. "Where's my Band-Aid?" 

She rolled her eyes and plopped a Band-Aid over the bridge of   
his nose. "Better?" 

He nodded. "Much. Don't I get a lollypop?" 

"So how bad was it in there?" Bulma asked, serious. 

Ranma sighed, going serious as well. "Well, when I finally   
arrived, there had to be at least fifty Drones flyin' around. And each   
were assimilating several humans. I saw a few leaving through a hole   
in the ceiling, which was what they probably came in through, and   
shot some ki at them." 

"That attracted the others' attention, and it was me against   
about ten of them. The others kept assimilating the other humans   
trapped in their paralysis beams. I was holdin' out okay against them,   
but it was better when Piccolo and Kuririn arrived." He smirked.   
"Then we started kickin' Hachi ass." 

Kuririn smirked as well. "All in the day of a martial artist, ne,   
Serori?" 

"Hai! That's what Oyaji taught me. 'Fighting evil is a martial   
artist's duty.'" He laughed then flinched, fire burning up his side.   
"Or somethin' like that." 

"Baka," Akane snorted affectionately. She turned her head   
to see the sirens arrive, and a news van right behind. "Well, that's   
our cue to leave." She stood and slowly helped Ranma stand. "Are   
you going to be able to fly?" 

He nodded, standing up as straight as possible. "Yeah." 

Bulma also stood, brushing off her pants. "You guys take off,   
and I'll stall the authorities." 

"Are you going to be okay, Bulma-chan?" Akane asked while   
wrapping an arm around Ranma for support. "What about the   
reporters?" She nodded to the camera crew headed their way. 

She blinked a few times. "I got it covered. I think it's finally   
time to announce our agenda." She waved and purposely strode up to   
the news reporter and camera. The four fighters glanced at each   
other and quickly made a getaway via the sky. 

****

After flying through the air for several minutes, the quartet   
was joined by Gohan and Goku, by way of Shinkan Idou. "Hey guys,"   
Kuririn greeted them. "Are you okay?" 

Goku nodded. "Me and Gohan took care of the Hachi attack at   
a baseball game," Goku said, his face serious. "We tried to save as   
many as we could, but..." he trailed off but everyone knew what was   
left unsaid. 

Piccolo grunted, his deep olive features creased in a frown.   
"The Hachi seem to becoming smarter, attacking highly populated   
areas to get as many victims as possible." 

"And, did you notice that when the victims were fully   
assimilated, they flew off?" Kuririn pointed out. 

"We can't underestimate them any longer," Akane shook her   
head. "They are sentient beings with the capabilities for higher   
reasoning and thought." She glanced at Goku. "How many do you   
think...?" 

"Hundreds before we even got there," he said. "Who knows   
the total. Maybe close to a thousand." 

"And you took care of them all?" She blinked, glancing   
between father and son. 

"Actually, no, Seiika-san," Gohan spoke quietly, the day's   
events taking their toll on his normally cheerful disposition. "We   
fought for awhile, but all of a sudden they just took off. Lifted right   
out of the air. We started to go after them, but they're really fast."   
Akane nodded in agreement. 

Gohan turned to Ranma. "We could feel you four fighting. Are   
you okay?" 

"A few bruised ribs, but we're okay," he waved off their   
concern. "They had me on the run for a few moments, but once the   
other two started to help, we had no problems." He blinked a few   
times and turned to Akane. "Four? You fought?" 

"I did." She nodded but placed a hand over his mouth when he   
started to sputter. "There were also a couple Hachi outside, in the   
parking lot. I did what I had to do, Ranma. I'll tell you about it   
later." She removed her hand. 

Ranma just grumbled under his breath, but he turned to Goku.   
"Do you know how Trunks and Tobuma fared?" 

The tall male shook his head. "No, I don't." 

Akane glanced at her mate, the pain clearly radiated off his   
face, and his posture. "Goku-san, can you do me a favor?" 

"Sure, Seiika. What is it?" 

"Can you teleport Ranma to CC?" 

The male in question blinked a few times in surprise. "Nani?   
Akane, I'm fine." 

She turned to him. "No, you're not. Your ribs are pushing on   
your lungs, making it hard for you to breathe. You're going home,   
now." She growled deep in her throat, her tone leaving no room for   
arguments. 

He stared at her for a moment, his stormy blue eyes boring   
into her own. Finally, after a few tense moments, he nodded once.   
"Fine, but you're coming with me." 

She nodded back, a smile tugging at one corner of her mouth.   
"Fine." 

"Well, why don't I just bring everyone back to CC?" Goku   
suggested amicably, a smile lighting his jovial features. "And then we   
can start organizing the battle strategies for the UN presentation   
next week." He turned to Ranma. "After you get fixed, of course." 

Ranma lit up. "I've been thinking about that. I was talking to   
Ryouga and we sketched out a couple ideas already." 

"If he's still at Capsule Corp, that is," Akane growled under   
her breath. 

"He is," Ranma nodded smugly. "I have him 'meditating' in the   
gravity chamber." 

"Meditating?" Gohan asked. 

"Hai, at about ten times gravity." Both he and Akane shared   
identical smirks. "I don't think he can get lost if he can't get up." 

Goku shook his head and placed two fingers to his forehead.   
"Let's see who I can...Vejiita is still there. Centering on him right..."   
Everyone, sans Piccolo, grabbed onto some part of the tall Saiya-jiin,   
lest they get left behind. Goku glanced at the Nameksei-jiin, who   
only shook his head and rocketed off into the distance. He shrugged   
mentally and focused once again. 

"Right...now!" And they disappeared. 

****

**Capsule Corp, Gravity Chamber**

A tired Ryouga lay splayed in the center of the floor. Every   
once in a while a muscle would twitch in his attempt to move under   
the restraining force pressing upon him. "Damn you, Ranma," he   
yelled up at the ceiling, "Damn you for everything! Who do you think   
you are to keep me in this room against my will?" 

"He has every right for what you did to Seiika." 

Ryouga started, surprised by the arrival of the deep voice. He   
had been by himself in the circular room for several hours, fuming in   
his hatred for Ranma. "Nani?" 

"You are a coward. A coward and a bastard for taking   
advantage of her and her trust for so long." 

"Who are you? What do you want?" Ryouga tried with all of   
his might to see the new arrival, but the voice came from out of   
sight. "And who is Seiika? I don't know of anyone with that name." 

"You humans named her 'Akane', but her true name is Seiika no   
Oujo, heir to the Saiya-jiin Empire." 

"Nani? Oujo?" Ryouga blinked in confusion. "The only Akane I   
know is no royalty. And heir to the Musabetsu Kabuto, Tendo Ryuu." 

"Silence, human!" Ryouga swallowed at the commanding tone of   
the unidentified male in the room. He could sense the anger and   
malice in the man's voice. A dark shadow fell over him and Ryouga   
looked up to see a dark, forbidding figure scowling over him. "I   
should kill you now, and spare Seiika the pain every time she sees you,   
or hears your name spoken. I don't think she would mind." 

Ryouga blanched as the evil-looking man drew a finger, aglow   
with a small amount of ki. "Why...who are you?" He stared as the   
finger got closer and closer to his forehead. 

"I should be your judge, jury and executioner," Vejiita   
snarled, his lip curling back to reveal a glinting fang. "But Seiika will   
become upset that I took away her right to kill you." He pulled back   
his finger, and reabsorbed the ki. "So I won't." Vejiita moved out of   
the trapped Ryouga's line of sight once again. 

The young man swallowed hard and felt his rapidly thumping   
heart slow as the evil man walked away. He looked up at the domed   
ceiling again, willing his breathing to return to normal levels. His   
arms shifted slightly under the strain of the high gravity. That's   
more than I could move before. Funny thing, adrenaline. 

"Serori says that you were his biggest rival." The man in the   
black training suit came into his viewing range once again, this time in   
front of him. 

"Serori?" 

"Ranma," Vejiita sighed, exasperated. 

"Ranma is not my rival," Ryouga snarled out, his eyes wide in   
anger. "Ranma is the bane of my existence! He put me through hell   
over and over again! Time and time again he throws my life tumbling   
into the deepest pit of hell. Akane does not know how evil he truly   
is!" A dim glow surrounded the raving martial artist, and unknowingly   
began to wave his arms around in the air. 

Vejiita raised an eyebrow at the aura surrounding the boy on   
the ground. Moving over to the control panel, he set the gravity to   
raise in increments of one every minute. "Ranma is well known for his   
exploits and achievements in the Art, human. He earned   
Seiika...Akane fair and square." 

"Earned? Earned! That cur has done nothing to earn anything!   
Every new move, every increase in his power in the Art has been   
handed to him in his lap. Akane and her heart was given to him!   
Ukyou! Shampoo! He wanted none! He shunned them and their love,   
only using them when it was to his advantage! That lowly scum has   
done nothing except ride the tail-coats of others!" The glow   
intensified as he stood up. Vejiita glanced at the reading on the   
control panel. 

15. 

At that moment, the four saiya-jiin and Kuririn fizzled into   
existence, right behind Ryouga, all blinking as they adjusted to the   
new environment. Akane still had her arm wrapped around Ranma's   
waist, and he was leaning up against her, his face washed out from   
the pain. 

Both Vejiita and Ryouga turned to see the group appear, but   
Ryouga only saw the closeness of Ranma and Akane. And when he   
spotted blood on her, the last straw of his temper went up in flames.   
He raised a clenched fist, shaking as his anger became tangible.   
"Ranma! How dare you let Akane get hurt! Your life is mine!" With a   
shout, he jumped at Ranma. 

Immediately, Ranma pushed away from Akane, and bounced out   
of Ryouga's line of charge. "Hey, P-chan! What crawled up your ass   
and pissed?" 

Gohan sucked in a breath and Goku immediately slapped his   
hands over his ears. Vejiita snorted. "It's not like he's never heard   
that language before, baka. You're just as bad." Goku shot him a   
look. 

"Shut the hell up, Ranma! Take your death like a man and fight   
me!" He swung out his legs, trying to sweep the light on his feet   
Ranma to the ground. 

Only Ranma anticipated it and jumped, landing on Goku's shoulders   
with a wince, his ribs letting him know that they were still broken.   
"Chill, Ryouga! I didn't do nothin' to Akane. The blood's from the   
people she helped that got hurt from the Hachi attack today." 

Gohan blinked up at Ranma, who was standing on his father's   
shoulders. "Neat move, Serori." 

"Arigato, Gohan." Ranma smiled at the younger boy. "Uh, you   
don't mind I'm up here, ne, Goku?" 

He shook his head. "Nah, that's okay. It startled me at first,   
but I agree with Gohan, it was a clever maneuver." 

Ryouga growled as he saw Ranma perched on the other man's   
shoulders. "Stop hiding behind innocents, Saotome!" Everyone   
blinked at his remark. "Fight me like the coward you are!" He   
jumped into the air to try and knock Ranma down from his perch, but   
found himself looking at the floor upside down, as Goku grabbed his   
ankle and let him dangle in the air. "Hey! Let go!" He thrashed in   
the tight grip. 

"Gomen, Ryouga," Goku apologized, "but Serori needs to get to   
the med. ward as soon as he can. Seiika is starting to get upset." He   
nodded to Akane, who had her arms crossed fiercely and a black   
scowl spread across her face. 

"Stop it, Ryouga, now." Kuririn and Vejiita smirked on either   
side of her. You will not defend my honor anymore, for you have no   
honor in the first place. The only thing attacking Ranma will   
accomplish is get you killed." 

"Akane-san..." her began, his face red from the blood rushing   
to it. 

She stepped up to him and crouched, glaring at him in his face.   
"You have no idea what Ranma is capable of, Ryouga. We are not what   
we used to be." She glanced up at Ranma, who was still standing on   
Goku's shoulders. "Come on, Ranma, let's go fix your ribs." 

He nodded and slowly floated down, coming to rest in front of   
Ryouga. "Thanks for the save, Goku," Ranma smirked at the older   
male, and then glanced at the dangling Ryouga. "She's right, Ryouga.   
Honestly, both she and I could kill you with one finger." The   
upside-down male started sputtering in anger, but he held up a hand.   
"Stop it. It's true. So could anyone in this room. But we won't,   
Ryouga. Besides," his tone turned lighter, "I can't kill my strongest   
rival, ne? Be good, Ryouga, and we'll see what we can do to bring you   
up closer to our levels. We're gonna need that thick head of yours to   
fight the Hachi." He nodded to the others and he and Akane left the   
room. 

Ryouga just glared after him. "Damn you, Saotome! Damn you   
for an eternity in hell!" Vejiita just snorted and moved to a different   
part of the room. 

"Can I put you down now, Ryouga?" Goku asked, turning   
questioning eyes to the man he held in his hand. "Or are you going to   
go attack Serori again?" After a moment, Ryouga shook his head, and   
Goku gently righted him, and let him regain his footing before letting   
go. "So you already know the Art, ne? Would you like to be trained?" 

He was silent for a few moments. "What is Ranma actually   
capable of now? And Akane?" 

"Much more than your feeble mind could comprehend, human." 

"Vejiita," Goku shot the elder male a look. He turned back to   
Ryouga. "Don't mind him. But actually, Serori and Seiika can become   
super saiya-jiin, which sends their power levels skyrocketing." 

"Super whatta?" 

Gohan spoke. "You know that gold aura that Seiika had when   
she found out about your curse?" Ryouga flinched hard, but nodded. 

"That is the super saiya-jiin state. It's an advanced transformation   
that saiya-jiin are capable of going, given the right circumstances and   
the body's readiness for the power. It truly is a higher level, in all   
aspects of the mind, body, spirit, everything." Gohan blinked a few   
times, studying the young man in front of him. "You know how to use   
ki, correct?" Ryouga hesitated, then nodded. "Can you sense it as   
well?" 

"Sense it?" 

"If you close your eyes you can feel where someone is by their   
ki signature." 

Ryouga frowned, looking down at his feet. "If I could do that,   
then I wouldn't get lost as much as I do." 

Gohan turned to his father. "He has a fairly high power level,   
'Tousan, for a human." Goku nodded in agreement. "He should pick up   
the other aspects of ki fairly easily." 

He's not as powerful as I was when I was his age, though."   
Kuririn rubbed a finger over his chin smugly. 

"You also went through Kamesen'nin's training, as well, Kuririn,"   
Gohan smiled at him. "Ryouga might not have had such harsh training   
conditions." He turned his gaze to the silent Ryouga and examined   
him, his smile fading into a frown. "Maybe." 

"Well, whatever you decide, you are more than welcome to   
spar with us," Goku clapped a hearty hard on Ryouga's shoulder, and   
consequently, sent him sprawling to the floor. "Gomen, sometimes I   
forget my strength!" Gohan and Kuririn chuckled as Ryouga struggled   
to get up again, but failed. "Hey, Vejiita, what's the gravity set to?" 

A snort accompanied his answer. "Seventeen times. The fool   
couldn't even stand up under ten before I got him riled and his aura   
kicked in." 

"Ah, a rush of adrenaline will do wonders!" Kuririn chuckled. 

Goku nodded. "Well, see you later! Come on, Gohan, let's go   
see if there's anything to eat in the kitchen." The pair quickly left,   
their stomachs growling in unison. 

Vejiita snorted and followed after them. "Don't you dare eat   
all my food, Kakarotto!" 

Kuririn shook his head. "There is no greater foe to a saiya-jiin   
than an empty stomach." He walked over to the control panel and   
shut down the gravity, bringing it back level to the rest of the world.   
He walked back over to Ryouga and held put a hand. "Cheer up.   
There's no use trying to compare yourself to any saiya-jiin. I learned   
that a long time ago. Watashi wa Kuririn, desu." 

Ryouga glanced at Kuririn's hand, and accepted to help up.   
"Hibiki Ryouga, desu. Are you one of those saiya-jiin?" 

"Nope. One hundred percent Chikyuu-jiin. I've known Goku   
since we were little kids. We've trained together, fought in the same   
Tenka-ichi Budokai together, battled against the same murderous   
nemeses, or is the plural of nemesis, nemesisses?" The bald man   
shrugged his shoulders in indifference. "Anywhoo, you are pretty   
strong, for a human. If you decide to train with us, you'll find no   
better of sensei here with the saiya-jiin. Their race was bred for   
fighting." 

Ryouga nodded slightly. "I will think about it, arigato." He   
turned toward the door and sighed again. 

"She'll eventually forgive you," Kuririn said softly. "She's   
really upset now, but give her time. Either she'll forgive you, and you   
become friends again, or well, live with the consequences of your   
actions. Fate will play out one way or another." Kuririn put a warm   
hand on his shoulder. "You gotta remember, it only happened   
yesterday, ne? Give her a chance to calm down. Come on, let's get   
outta here. I need me some food, and with Goku in the kitchen, there   
won't be anything left if we don't hurry." Ryouga nodded and the pair   
left. 

****

**Hachi Compound, deep underground**

Daisy stood at the helm of his ship and watched as the newly   
assimilated Drones continuously streamed in and were sent to the   
training bays. Turning around, he patched himself through to the   
_Tokemonu_. 

Iris appeared on his screen. "Reporting already, Daisy?" 

He nodded. "Yes, sir. I have much to tell you. I did my final   
single runs on Chikyuu, today, striking fifteen separate spots. Our   
numbers now exceed seven thousand." 

Iris nodded. "A fine showing, Daisy." 

"Thank you, Captain. But I also have something of monumental   
importance to report. I went along with one of the larger runs, and   
I spotted a female fighting a pair of warrior Drones, easily   
destroying them." 

Iris frowned. "That is good news?" 

"Actually it is, Captain. I confronted her, and after our own   
scuffle, I discovered something unusual. She was a saiya-jiin." 

Iris turned to Rose, who was sitting next to him. "Are you   
sure, Daisy? That it wasn't just a relatively strong female?" 

Daisy nodded his head. "The tail and the golden   
transformation was a dead giveaway." 

Rose frowned. "But the only female saiya-jiin we know to exist   
is..." 

"Exactly, sirs. I believe it was Seiika-sama. The Saiya-jiin no   
Oujo. The future Queen of Hive Chikyuu." 

Iris sat back in his seat. "You are positive of this?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"Where was her location?" 

Daisy turned away slightly and his image was replaced with a   
map. "The flashing red circles are the sites we hit today." The map   
zoomed in on a small area, enlarging to show the detailed lines of a   
city. "And this is where Team 11 struck." 

Rose spoke eagerly. "Show where the first scouting party   
landed." The map zoomed out slightly, and a blue flashing square   
appeared on the screen. "According to this map, the two sites are in   
the same country. What is their distance?" 

"About 100 Chikyuu miles, sir. Not very far apart." 

Iris spoke up. "Expand the entire map and show each   
gathering spot you've attempted." Soon, around a hundred blinking   
red dots lit the map, and each continent and major body mass was   
covered with the flashing dots. "Good job, Daisy." 

The attack leader came back on the screen. "Thank you,   
Captain." He paused for a moment. "What do you want to happen if I   
run into Seiika-sama again?" 

"Capture and subdue. Hopefully you won't run into her until we   
get there, Daisy. I don't want to lose you to a pack of upset   
saiya-jiin." 

"Neither do I, Captain," Daisy nodded. "In a few days, once   
the new Drones complete the training, I will begin the swarming. I   
have more than enough for the task." 

"Very well, Daisy. Thank you for your hard work and   
dedication. Good luck. _Tokemonu_, out." Iris' image disappeared. 

Daisy turned away from the screen, and left the bridge to   
check on the progress of his newly trained soldiers. 

****

**Capsule Corp, That evening**

The local residents of Capsule Corp were seated around a   
large television screen in the main living area. Every eye and ear was   
focused raptly on the screen as they watched the local news covering   
the day's attacks. 

_ "The local strike of the Giant Bees hit the city of Western_   
_Capital hard. Calls are pouring in as local residents search for their_   
_lost loved ones. As of the beginning of this broadcast, over one_   
_hundred people are reported missing. But this is a small number_   
_compared to the amounts collected from the other fourteen strikes_   
_reported in from around the globe."_

"Fifteen raids?" Bulma squeaked in horror. "But we only knew   
of three! Why didn't we know?" 

"Some of the attacks were more than likely not in very   
populated areas, Okaasan," Trunks reasoned, glancing to his mother.   
"We can't be everywhere, and neither can the news." Bulma frowned   
hard and they returned their attention to the anchor. 

_ "But one interesting fact did come about from today's attack_   
_on Shinigaki Mall. Our own Shono Yumiko caught the scoop._   
_Shono-san?"_

"Here it comes," Bulma groaned. 

_ "Domo arigatou, Haato-san. Today, Western Capital's own_   
_darling, Briefs Bulma, heir to the Capsule Corporation Empire,_   
_prompted us with some interesting information."_

**_ Footage from earlier in the day at the mall is shown>_**

_Yumiko: Tell us, Briefs-san, what exactly happened here today?_

_Bulma: (rolls her eyes) Obviously it was a Hachi attack. Almost two_   
_dozen Drones attacked the mall, trying to assimilate the patrons_   
_here. The Z Senshi arrived and kicked their ass._

_Yumiko: Hachi?_

_Bulma: (Puts her fingers up in the air) The 'Giant Bees.' They are_   
_called Hachi, and their classification is Drone. The Hachi Drones are_   
_what has been causing all the chaos and killing._

_Yumiko: How do you know all of this, Briefs-san? Have you_   
_encountered the Gia...Hachi before?_

_Bulma: (shakes her head) Not me personally. But the Z Senshi are_   
_trying hard to protect Western Capital and the rest of the world_   
_from the Hachi threat._

_Yumiko: You mentioned the Z Senshi before. Who exactly are they?_   
_Do they include the yellow-haired vigilante fighters often seen at the_   
_attacks?_

_Bulma: (nods) Hai. They are powerful warriors, trying to defend_   
_Chikyuu against the threat. I'm not going to get into rhetoric here,_   
_but we will be presenting our case and the Hachi story at the UN_   
_meeting next week in New York before the Council. You'll have all_   
_your answers then._

_ "Domo arigato, Shono-san, for that breaking news report."_

Bulma leaned forward and hit the 'off' button on the remote.   
"I hate reporters. I swear she was going to stick that microphone up   
my nose." 

"You handled it well, Obaasan," Tobuma said, his arms crossed.   
"I could tell that reporter wanted to get more in-depth with you   
about us." 

"So did I. But I wasn't going to start a full-scale debate on   
you 'vigilantes.' But now the world will soon know that the UN   
meeting next week will be something to watch." 

"Did your father get confirmation from Japan's UN   
representative?" Akane asked. She was sitting next to a healed   
Ranma, who had just woken up from a nap in the regeneration tank. 

She nodded. "Yup, it's all set. We are going to be one of the   
first things on the agenda, after normal duties. Soho-san said that   
our arrival is causing a tremendous stir among the other delegates.   
Everyone wants to know what's going on, and what they can do about   
it. Hopefully we can forestall some needless deaths." 

"Trunks and I have just about finished the background on the   
Hachi," Tobuma nodded to his cousin, "and the slide show is just   
about finished as well." 

"Goku-san and I have come up with some rough plans for the   
major militaries. I don't know if they'll be willing to go along with   
them, but it's a start." Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "We can't   
force them to follow the plans, so we'll just have to prove how   
dangerous it would be if they did what we think they're going to do." 

"And that's all we really can do," Bulma nodded. "It's up to   
Chikyuu's children to decide to fight with us, or against us. With us,   
they'll be protected as best as possible. Against us, well...not much   
we can do except to try." Heads around the room nodded in mutual   
agreement. 

Vejiita stood up and began to leave the room. "Serori, come   
with me." 

Ranma blinked a few times and glanced at Akane, who just   
shook her head. "Uh, sure, Vejiita-ouji." The pair left the room. 

"What was that about?" Trunks asked, confused. 

"Who knows what that male thinks." Bulma snorted, shaking   
her head. 

****


	31. Flaring Tempers in Flight

**A Tail To Remember**   
**by Gie (phowahcs.com)**   
  
__

**A Tail To Remember**   
**Chapter 30: Flaring Tempers in Flight**   
  


The next few days passed very quickly for the residents of   
Capsule Corporation; the hours filled to the brim with preparations   
for the presentation to the United Nations. Each member of the   
household had their own duties that needed to be done, and   
sometimes it seemed that there weren't enough hours in the day to   
get everything ready, and Sunday, the night before the summit,   
arrived all too soon for those involved. 

Kasumi slid open the back screen, a warm smile on her face.   
"Welcome back, minna. Did you have a pleasant flight here?" She   
gave her youngest sister a gentle hug. "Otousan is out in the dojo,   
explaining to Okaasan what will be taking place tomorrow." She   
greeted the rest of the group that arrived with smiles and hugs. 

Nabiki was waiting at the table, several papers spread out in   
front of her. She glanced up from her studies when Akane entered   
the room. "Kon'wa, imoutochan. Are you ready for tomorrow?" 

"Not really," she shook her head, her dark hair rustling gently   
with the gesture. "but I'm not one of the ones that'll be in front of   
everyone speaking." She cocked her head and studied the older   
female. "Are you ready?" 

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess," Nabiki shrugged her thin   
shoulders. She gestured to the papers in front of her. "I'm just   
doing the last bit of research I think we'll need on the members of   
the Council." She gave the entering Bulma a smile and a nod when she   
sat next to her. "I was looking over what you faxed me, Bulma-san,   
and I think our plans will go over rather smoothly. There shouldn't be   
too much opposition from the dignitaries. We really only have to   
worry about the United States and Russia, seeing as they have the   
biggest contingency of allies. We get them to follow us, then most of   
the other powers will follow in their footsteps." 

Bulma nodded in agreement, sorting through the papers on the   
table. "You're right, of course. Even if the smaller countries don't   
agree, the US will more than likely try to coerce them into   
accepting." 

"Do you think you will have many oppositors?" Nodoka asked,   
as she entered with a tray full of cups and a large pot of tea. "You'd   
think that such a contingency plan would be widely wanted, and   
accepted." 

"Hopefully, it will be," Trunks answered her. "For their own   
sakes, they will listen and agree." Falling into the open spot next to   
Nabiki, he picked up a piece of paper with a large man's picture   
predominately covering most of the page. "This is the one we will   
have the most trouble convincing." 

Akane cocked her head in question. "Who is it?" 

"That is Dunkirk Spiel, the German representative. He is a   
hard headed, backstabbing isolationist bent on creating havoc   
wherever he goes. He thinks that Hitler had good ideas, but just was   
misguided in the ways to present them to the world." Bulma   
scrunched up her nose in distaste. "He's a bastard that thinks the   
world would be better under one united ruler: him or someone he   
appoints. He tears apart the reputation any that oppose him with lies   
and scandal, and is supported by some of the dirtiest corporations in   
Europe." 

"But if he is such a disgrace to the Council, why is he still   
there? Wouldn't Germany choose another representative?" Nodoka   
thought out loud, her mouth twisted into a frown. 

Bulma shook her head. "Who said they haven't tried? But   
Spiel has some connections to people who have some connections...you   
get the idea. Anyone that thinks of trying to oppose him or stop his   
implementations somehow learns the hard way how hard Spiel can   
hit." She ripped the paper with his profile in half with a snort. "Let's   
see what Dunkirk Spiel can do against Briefs Bulma, ne?" She winked   
and crossed her arms smugly. 

Vejiita snorted from his position against a wall support. "You   
sure are one cocky bitch, Onna." He smirked at the intake of breath   
from Kasumi and Nodoka. 

She smirked right back. "Takes one to know one, Otoko." She   
glanced around at the people assembled. "Well, are we ready to go?   
I have a private company jet waiting for us at Narita Airport. It's   
going to be a long flight, and the sooner we leave, the sooner we'll get   
there and get into our hotel rooms." 

Ranma glanced around. "We're only waiting for Goku and his   
family. He's bringing Ryouga, as well. Have you called him yet,   
Akane?" 

She nodded. "When we got here. ChiChi said they'd be here   
as soon as possible." As soon as she got done speaking, a familiar   
tingle filled their senses and Akane smirked. "And speak of the   
devil..." 

"Sorry we're late, minna," ChiChi apologized, "but Goku here   
decided he needed to talk to the Jolly Green Giant quick." She shot   
her sheepish-looking mate a glare and purposely turned her head   
away from him. "Sometimes..." 

Akane shook her head. "You're not late at all, ChiChi." She   
turned her gaze to Goku. "Is Piccolo-san coming?" She pointedly   
ignored the male human along for the ride. 

"Iie," the tall saiya-jiin shook his head, "that's what I went to   
find out. He said that he'll head up to Kami's tower and watch the   
action from there. Less human interaction, he said, the better." 

"I can see why he would say that," Tobuma smiled,   
"Piccolo-san tends to draw attention to himself even without trying." 

Vejiita pushed himself away from the wall. "Enough with the   
asinine chit-chat. We need to get going." 

Bulma stood as well. "He's right. Come on, minna; everyone in   
the capsule plane." Soon, the large group of saiya-jiin and humans   
were loaded into the plane and enroute for the airport. 

After a bit of playing 'Which terminal was the jet at?' the set   
of twelve passengers were safely aboard Bulma's personal company   
jet, or affectionately known as 'Capsule Force One.' Before take off,   
Bulma gave a quick tour. "Here is the main area, where we'll be   
sitting for the main take-off and landing. The middle section has   
lounge chairs and a large meeting table. We'll more than likely spend   
most of the trip in there. There are several small curtained rooms on   
the sides of the plane, each with a bed. Since this trip is going to   
fairly long, you are more than welcome to take advantage of them.   
The bathrooms are at the end of the plane, and just ask the flight   
attendants for whatever you need. They have a fully stocked kitchen   
and bar at their disposal." She glanced at Goku and Ranma, the   
notorious eaters. Both perked their ears at Bulma's mention of the   
kitchen "And with seven saiya-jiin stomachs, I do mean fully stocked.   
The cargo hold is stuffed to the brim with food." Several stomach   
growled in appreciation; Bulma just rolled her eyes. 

A smooth voice came over the intercom. _"Attention, please,_   
_this is your captain, Tamahome speaking. Flight CC144, non-stop from_   
_Tokyo to New York. Briefs-san, we are ready and waiting for your_   
_go-ahead."_

"How professional!" Kasumi said, as she buckled into the plush   
seat, her father next to her. Nodoka and Genma sat directly behind   
them, and Nabiki and Ryouga were directly in front of her. Across   
the aisle, Ranma and Akane were strapping themselves in, with   
Tobuma and Trunks in front of them, and Vejiita and Bulma's empty   
seat directly behind them. 

Behind Vejiita, ChiChi was buckling Gohan in tight. "Make sure   
you stay in your seat, Gohan-chan. You don't want to get hurt in   
take-off." 

Goku shook his head in amusement at his wife's antics.   
"ChiChi, don't worry, he'll be fine. You know, he's flown before." 

Gohan nodded. "I can go faster than this plane by myself,   
Okaasan." 

She frowned, hands on her hips. "And why would you want to?   
There's no sensible reason to do anything of the sort." She pulled   
out a capsule and exploded it in the empty seat next to him. When   
the smoke cleared away, a stack of books were revealed in its place.   
Both Gohan and Goku groaned. "Since we're going to be here awhile, I   
see no reason for you to fall behind on your studies." 

"ChiChi..." Goku groaned. 

"Hush, Goku. Now, I made sure to include some books on the   
founding of the United Nations, and the past legislation they've   
passed for the better of our world. I don't see why someone   
shouldn't be well versed on the history of this mission." She rubbed   
the dejected looking Gohan's messy black spikes. "Cheer up,   
Gohan-chan! It'll be fun, once we get there, knowing what went on   
within the hallowed walls of the UN building." 

"Sure, Okaasan." 

"There's my good boy." She beamed at him and moved across   
the aisle and buckled into the seat next to Goku. 

Bulma rolled her eyes and picked up the phone at the front of   
the plane. "We're ready back here, Tamahome-san. Arigatou." She   
hung up the receiver and fell into the aisle seat next to Vejiita,   
buckling the harness around her. She leaned over Vejiita and clicked   
his shut as well. 

"What in the hell are you doing, Onna? I don't need to be   
strapped in like a child." He glared at her with contempt. 

"Everyone needs to be buckled in. Just don't argue with me,   
okay? When the plane levels out, you can take it off. It's just a   
safety precaution." She sighed when he turned away from her,   
grumbling about fragile human corpses, but he left the safety   
harness where it was. 

_ "Flight CC144, Tokyo to New York is ready to take off. The_   
_flight is an estimated 12 and one half hours, and the time when we_   
_arrive at JFK International will be about 9:00pm Sunday evening. The_   
_seat belt signs will be turned off when we are at fifteen thousand_   
_feet and flying steady. We may have some inclimate weather, but_   
_that should not be for some time. Domo arigato, minna-san, and enjoy_   
_the flight."_

_Several hours into the flight_

Just about everyone had gathered in the lounge area, and was   
talking amiably. A large amount of food was spread across the   
meeting table, and several passengers were taking advantage of the   
bounty laid out. 

Bulma turned to Trunks, who was relaxing in one of the large   
lounge chairs. "Trunks-kun, can we see what you put together for   
tomorrow?" 

"Sure, Okaasan," Trunks nodded and disappeared into the   
front for a moment. He returned a few minutes later with the disk   
projector. Tobuma had cleared a spot on the meeting table and   
Trunks put the machine down there, and turned it on. He dimmed the   
lights in the room and sat back down. 

Conversation came to a halt as the familiar images from Mirai   
Ranma's recording appeared in the center of the room. Silence   
echoed, save an occasional intake of breath as a particular scene was   
recognized. Several scenes showed despair-ridden refugees, tucked   
away in hidden camps, safe for the moment from the marauding   
Hachi, but after awhile, the pictures of humans ceased to be shown.   
Desolation and destruction was a heavy burden, and from the looks on   
Trunks and Tobuma's faces, the cross was bared between the two   
males equally. 

After a few minutes of the bleak scenes from the future   
world, the footage faded away. Kasumi shook her head in despair.   
"Is that truly your world, Tobuma?" 

"Hai, it is, Obaasan," the pigtailed saiya-jiin said quietly. "Or   
was. Through reconnaissance missions, done by others when I was   
younger, it was discovered that the Hachi really don't care about the   
states of the world they start their colonies on. What they do is   
strip the worlds of their populations and natural resources, and when   
the world is barren and useless, they send out search parties for   
another world to devour and destroy." He let out a sigh and pulled on   
his braid in frustration. "What I want to know is why they were even   
in this quadrant of the universe? It's the only inhabited planet in   
this system. Only inhabitable planet for several light years, even!   
Why us? Why here..." 

"I can't answer that, Tobuma," Akane said quietly, "but what   
I can say is that when we are done with the Hachi here, I'll come   
back with you and help free your world." 

"Akane!" Ranma gasped, swinging his chair around to face her.   
"You can't!" 

"And why the hell not?" she snapped back, her eyes darkening   
in anger. "My child risks his life to help save my world; I can only do   
the same for him!" 

"Okaasan," Tobuma's cheeks held a tinge of red, embarrassed   
by the limelight shining on him. "There isn't much of our world to   
save anymore." Trunks nodded in agreement. 

"But it is your world, Tobuma-chan," Akane stood and moved   
over to him, kneeling next to his chair. "We will rid your universe of   
the Hachi, so no other world will be dealt the same fate as yours."   
She laid a comforting hand on his knee, squeezing it lightly. 

He nodded, ducking his head. His own hand came and rested   
over hers. "Hai, Okaasan, domo arigato." 

"Well, you're not gonna go anywhere without me, Akane, so you   
better count me in, too." Ranma crossed his arms with a smirk   
lighting his face. "And Tobuma is ours. We share the responsibility,   
ne?" She smiled and nodded, sitting back in her original spot next to   
her mate. 

Trunks glanced up when he felt a hand on his arm. He had   
been watching the fierce protectiveness that both Akane and Ranma   
were wielding over his hapless cousin-brother, reminding him of days   
past. Fond memories brushed over his mind's eye of both Ranma and   
Bulma lording over them. 

He blinked into identical blue eyes, a familiar fierce flame   
flickered within their oceanic depths. "Don't forget about us,   
Trunks-chan. Both me and Vejiita are by your side, as well." 

Trunks flicked his gaze to hard black obsidian, but a slight   
inclination of the male's head told him that Bulma truly meant, 'we.'   
"Arigato, Okaasan, Otousan." He nodded at them both. 

"Vejiita and I have been talking, and we decided that if the   
UN would ask for a liaison to the humans, I will be such," Akane said,   
her posture straightening slightly. "And Vejiita will be recognized as   
the leader of the Saiya-jiin on Chikyuu." Surprised looks darted all   
around at the news. Akane frowned a bit. "Does anyone have any   
objections?" 

"Actually, I think that's a not that bad of an idea, Akane,"   
Soun agreed with her, slowly nodding his head. "Although, the UN   
Council will more than likely think of you as a unit, rather than   
separate people, then." 

"And if worse comes to worse," Bulma pointed out, "and they   
start threatening to kick you off Chikyuu, you can try claiming   
refugee status. Your planet is destroyed, ne? You have no where   
else to go..." she smiled. 

"What about the 'alien' fact?" The ever practical Nabiki asked   
the all-important question. "Are you going to reveal it?" 

"If we have to, we have to," Ranma answered her, glancing at   
Vejiita out of the corner of his eye. "We'll cross that bridge if we   
have to." 

"Let's hope that we don't," Bulma added, shaking her head.   
"The UN could go either way; welcoming a new species to Chikyuu--or   
get all paranoid over it." 

"They wouldn't ask them to...leave, would they?" Nodoka   
blinked a few times in worry, her gaze falling on Ranma. 

"They have the power to, but it wouldn't make much sense. All   
of the saiya-jiin, except for Vejiita, were raised here on Chikyuu,   
thinking they were human." 

"But what if they do tell you to leave? What will happen   
then?" 

"Then we leave." Vejiita spoke, his arms crossed. "I know of   
several neutral, inhabited planets that would welcome competent   
senshi as we saiya-jiin." 

Nabiki raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You would just take   
off? Leave the Hachi here to assimilate the humans?" 

"I'm not defending this planet for the humans, onna." He had a   
disgusted look to his face. "I could care less for you weaklings. If   
the humans decide to waste their only defense against the bugs, then   
more power to them." 

"Then why are you fighting them?" ChiChi spat, a sneer   
curling at her lips. "It can't be from the goodness of your heart,   
that's for sure." Goku frowned at his wife, but didn't say anything.   
Bulma almost choked on her drink. 

"It's none of your damn business, female," he sneered back. 

"No matter why Vejiita-ouji is fighting for Chikyuu, he is, and   
leave it at that." Ranma spoke up, trying to diffuse the situation. He   
threw a warning look to ChiChi, who snorted and turned her attention   
away from him. "And if we, the saiya-jiin that is, are forced to leave   
Chikyuu, then well, we'll go." He shrugged and turned to Akane, who   
nodded reluctantly. Her tail unwound from her waist and intertwined   
with his in a silent bond. "I'd rather stay and fight, but I don't want   
my human family to get in trouble for it." 

"So, you're finally the Saiya-jiin no Ou, ne, Vejiita?" Goku   
grinned at the older male. "Gotta start getting used to saying,   
'Vejiita-sama,'" A very large grin lit his entire face. 

"I am not King," Vejiita spat, his face screwed up in a black   
scowl. "Nor will I ever be. I may be the undisputed leader, but I will   
never be king." He crossed his arms and glanced away. "Nor do I   
wish to be." 

"Why, Vejiita? I thought you wanted..." Goku trailed off when   
he saw the murderous look he was given by the shorter male. 

"You have no right to tell me what I want, kusotare! The only   
things I've ever wanted was to annihilate Friezer and ascend into my   
birthright. After meeting you, the third-class scum that you are, all   
I've wanted to do is grind your stupid ass grin into the heel of my   
boot!" 

"Vejiita!" Bulma yelled at him. "That is no way for you to act!" 

He stood up, his chair falling away from behind him. "Shut up,   
Onna! None of you realize what that sorry excuse for a saiya-jiin has   
put me through! Defeating Friezer was my right!" He jabbed his fist   
into his chest, his black eyes flashing in his fury. "Kakarotto   
suffered nothing under his evil white claws! He came to Namek to   
gain a stupid wish to save his weakling friends, and thought, 'While   
I'm here, I might as well kill the bane of the North Quadrant and be   
the first saiya-jiin in a millennia to be the Legendary, all for shits and   
giggles for the saiya-jiin who thought he was a human!'" He spat and   
leveled a murderous look at the taller male. "Well, fuck you,   
Kakarotto! Fuck you and your damn clan of weaklings!" He spat again   
and stormed out of the room. 

Bulma jumped up and started to go after him but Akane shook   
her head, standing as well. "I'll go, Bulma-chan." She flashed a look   
at Ranma, who nodded back, and she left the room as well. 

"I didn't mean..." 

Goku trailed off, but Bulma shook her head. "Don't worry   
about it, Son-kun; he's had that bottled up inside him for quite some   
time. It's better he gets it out now, rather than at another   
inopportune time." 

"I can't believe you're willing to just leave Chikyuu!" Nabiki   
turned to Ranma, an accusing look to her sharp features. "What   
about your human family?" She threw a glance to Genma and Nodoka,   
who both had serious looks on their own. "Are you willing to leave us   
to the mercy of the Hachi? What about your friends from Furinkan?   
What about Ukyou? Will they be left behind to be killed as you   
blindly follow that explosive murderer?" 

Ranma narrowed his eyes at Nabiki. "Vejiita is my Prince, and   
I will follow him wherever he goes, no questions asked. I will not hold   
against him what he had done under Friezer; he holds it against   
himself just fine. And no, you know me better than that, Nabiki." He   
furrowed his eyebrows. "I wouldn't leave anyone I cared about to   
suffer under the Hachi. You are more than welcome to come with." 

Nabiki stared at him with a blank face. "Actually, I don't think   
I know you at all, Serori." She stood up and moved to the opposite   
end of the plane. 

Ranma growled under his breath and crossed his arms in a   
huff. "Damn female." He roughly pushed out of his chair and went   
off in the direction Vejiita and Akane left. Bulma soon followed   
behind him. 

The rest of the plane ride was spent in seclusion by many   
members, and the only disturbance was when a patch of turbulence   
forced the large group back together to ride out the bumpy weather   
in their harnessed seats. Not much was said while in the same room,   
so by the time the plane landed at JFK International in New York, all   
were ready for a change of scenery. 

Goku arched his back, stretching for all he was worth. "Oh   
boy! Am I glad to be off that plane!" He reached down and rustled   
Gohan's hair. "Next time, we'll fly the natural way, ne, Gohan?" 

The young boy nodded. "You got it, 'Tousan." 

ChiChi rolled her eyes. "That is the natural way, Goku-saa.   
You're the unnatural one." 

Bulma glanced around, and when noticing the two long black   
cars, she waved her hand to them. "The limos are over there, minna.   
Pile in. They'll take us to the hotel." 

When the two cars pulled up to the large building, Bulma got   
out first, but paused before closing the door. "Ill go get the room   
keys. We should have seven room reserved. I'll be right back." She   
disappeared through the large gold and glass doors. 

Everyone piled out of the cars and stared up at the building   
that seem to rise into the sky with no end in sight. "Wow, I wonder   
how many stories it has?" ChiChi wondered out loud. 

"Ill go find out!" Goku quickly said, and with a flare of ki,   
launched himself straight into the air, disappearing quickly. 

"Goku! Oh that man!" ChiChi fumed under her breath, shaking   
her head. "Why does he have to go do these kinds of things to me." 

"I don't think anyone saw, ChiChi," Akane assured her. She   
glanced around. "At least I don't think so. No one reacted oddly." 

"That's because this is New York, Akane," Nabiki drawled,   
looking around at the people moving rapidly from one place to   
another. Many were talking on cell phones, consulting their watches   
or looking through papers. "No one pays much attention to anyone   
else but themselves." 

"It certainly seems crowded, doesn't it, Saotome?" Soun said   
as he watched three people weave around their group, not even   
looking up to see where they were going. 

"That it does, Tendo, that it does," Genma agreed as he   
picked up a newspaper that one of the people that went by dropped   
into a garbage can. 

But he didn't get a chance to look at it, because the return of   
Goku from his floor-counting expedition also brought a mini-cyclone,   
whipping the paper out of Genma's meaty hands. "Guess what? It has   
exactly one hundred floors! Plus, there's a small funky floor on the   
top of the building, but I didn't count that one." 

"That's called the penthouse, Son-kun, and we would have used   
it but it was already rented when I called for the rooms. Okay,   
everyone, follow me, and we'll go up to our rooms." Everyone filed   
into a very large elevator, the walls complete mirrors. Bulma   
explained the situation as she handed out keys. "We're on the 77th   
floor, in rooms 7710-7719. There's no one else on the floor; I made   
sure of that." She smiled at ChiChi when the younger woman rolled   
her eyes. "All of the suites have two bedrooms, one bath. In the   
center is a small heated pool with jacuzzi and sauna that we have full   
and uninterrupted access to, along with a small weight room on the   
side." She held up a hand before anyone could say anything. "No, you   
can not go all out in it. But if you want to spar, take the elevator up   
to the penthouse, and then take to the air. We really don't need   
anyone to see your abilities if we don't have to reveal them." The   
elevator doors opened, and she glanced at her watch. "It's a little   
before seven now, New York time. Why don't we meet in the lobby   
at eight, and we'll go get dinner, and regroup for tomorrow. Sound   
good?" 

Everyone nodded or made some movement of agreement, and   
filed down the hallway, each finding their rooms with relative ease.   
Bulma opened the door, Vejiita swiftly moving past her and made a   
beeline for the bathroom. She chuckled and closed the door behind   
her, and seeing the large bed, made her own way for it, immediately   
falling into its comforting softness with a loud groan. "Oh, I think I   
could lie on here forever and ever and ever." Two solid thumps   
indicated shoes found the floor. 

A loud flush answered her and a moment later Vejiita entered   
the bedroom, going to the large window to glare out at the scene of   
the busy city below. "This is a damn loud city. I can hear the   
incessant noise from here." 

Bulma let out a snort. "Well, what do you expect, Vejiita?   
There are fifty times the number of people here than in Western   
Capital. And probably the same amount of vehicles. New York City is   
probably the most populated city in the United States. It's on the   
same level as Tokyo." 

"Have the Hachi struck here, yet?" 

Reluctantly, she stood up and moved over to his side, pulling   
the curtain open a little more. The sun was barely peeking over the   
horizon, so the sky was filled with dark blues and purples, with thick   
black lines jutting everywhere. "Breathtaking, ne?" She just got a   
grunt in reply. She sighed and leaned against the solid figure next to   
her. "Actually, no, they haven't. They've struck other places on the   
eastern seaboard, but not New York City itself." 

He frowned, watching the millions of people moving around like   
a colony of ants, not mindful of what could befall them should the   
Hachi attack. He stiffened slightly when he felt Bulma's hand wander   
over his back and come to rest lightly over the base of his tail. "Be   
careful what you do with that hand, Onna, or you won't make it to   
supper." 

She chuckled and giving it a light squeeze, released it and him   
as she walked away from the window. He turned to watch her as she   
wandered out of the room. "You wish, Otoko," she called out, and he   
noted that from the slight echo to her voice she had entered the   
bathroom. "Although you wish that all the time." The soft swishing   
of water also let him know she had started running water for a bath. 

A evil smile flitted at the corner of his lips, and with a few   
quick movements, he disrobed the annoying human garments he was   
forced to don for the plane ride there. The thick carpet covered his   
footsteps as he made his way to the bathroom, where he beheld his   
mate undressed as well, and slowly stepping into the water of her   
bath, her tiny toes testing the steaming pool for the correct and   
tolerable temperature. "Maybe if I actually enjoyed myself once, I   
wouldn't have to keep coming to your ugly ass all the time." His arms   
quickly wrapped around the small waist and with a loud splash, entered   
the water. 

"Vejiita, you bast...!" 

In the hallway, Ranma came to a rigid halt in front of the door   
where he heard the loud squeal of indignation, followed by a even   
louder splash. He shook his head and relaxed, chuckling quietly to   
himself. "Sounds like someone is getting a bath." Quietly, he   
continued down the hall and came to a stop in front of a different   
door. He raised his hand, and after a few hesitant attempts,   
knocked solidly on the darkly stained wood. 

"Who is it?" a muffled voice spoke. 

He hesitated again. "It's...it's me, Ranma. Can I talk to you,   
Nabiki?" 

After a few moments, the soft click of the lock being   
unbolted hit his sensitive ears and the door cracked open, revealing   
the gentle features of Kasumi. "It's not time to go for supper yet, is   
it, Ranma?" 

He shook his head. "Not yet." He tried to peek around the   
tall female. "Can I come in?" 

Kasumi glanced over her shoulder, silently communicating with   
the other member of the room. The door opened wider and she   
slipped out, closing the heavy oak behind her. "I'm afraid Nabiki is   
still quite upset with you, Ranma-kun," Kasumi's liquid eyes confirmed   
her words. "She is not in the best of moods to talk with you. It   
might be better to come back later." 

He shook his head firmly. "Iie, I wanna get this all in the   
open, now. I didn't think she'd think I would just go and leave you all   
here at the mercy of the Hachi." He let out a frustrated sigh. 

"I know, Ranma-kun, and I think she knows that, too. But I   
think the biggest thing she was struck by was how blindly you would   
follow Vejiita-san. You were never known to be the follower; you   
were always the leader of your little adventures." She handed him   
the plastic key card. "I'm going to go see Akane-chan for a few   
minutes." She smiled a familiar smile and reached out on her tiptoes,   
kissing him on the cheek lightly. "I know you as well, Ranma-kun. You   
would never abandon your loved ones." She smiled again and made her   
way down the hall, disappearing around a corner. 

He sighed, and taking a deep breath, swiped the plastic key   
card in the black slot, and when the red light flashed green, slowly   
turned the brass knob and pushed the door open. He peeked his head   
around the corner, getting a quick layout of the room, and noted that   
it was exactly like the suite he and Akane were in. He also noticed   
that Nabiki wasn't within sight distance, so he quickly slipped in,   
making sure the door was firmly shut behind him. Tossing the plastic   
card on the small table next to the door, he cautiously made his way   
into the next room. "Nabiki? It's me, Ranma." 

"Obviously, since I didn't expect Trunks-kun until after   
dinner." Ranma quickly turned around and saw Nabiki sitting on a bed,   
her back flush against the headboard. She stared at him under   
heavy lids. "What do you want, Serori?" 

His eyebrows furrowed as he fell out of his defensive stance.   
"Nabiki, come on!" 

"Where are we going, Serori-san? I don't think I want to go   
anywhere with you." Her arms were crossed over her chest. 

"You aren't going to make this easy for me, are you?" 

"No." 

He sighed heavily and fell into a chair. "What do I have to do   
to make it up to you? What do you want from me? I am who I am,   
and it is not the same person you used to rent to flighty teenage girls   
for a quick yen." 

"Why not?" 

He was confused. "Why not what?" 

"Why aren't you the same person that arrived on our doorstep   
several years ago. An immature, clueless teenager that didn't know   
the difference between naiveté and stupidity. A boy who would   
throw himself into a mob of hormone-driven boys to help a clumsy,   
badmouthed tomboy afraid of boys defend herself against a   
bokken-wielding Shakespeare nut? Where is he, and who is the   
creature that replaced him? The confident, alien-tailed senshi, not   
afraid of anything or anyone, and with enough power in his toenail   
clippings to decimate an entire city?" 

He pointed to his chest. "That is me, Nabiki. Both the   
immature, clueless child and the battle-hardened senshi." 

"Where does the first end, and the second begin?" 

He shook his head. "They don't have a definite line. Melded   
and molded into the superior hunk of male-flesh before you." He saw   
the corner of Nabiki's lip twitch and he smirked himself. He twisted   
in his chair and flexed his arms and chest. "Look at my massive   
pectoral muscles...I am here to pump you up!" 

Nabiki covered her mouth to stifle the snort spewing forth,   
only failing when he did it again. "Oh, Kami...you've been watching too   
many reruns of 'Saturday Night Live.'" He grinned along with her, but   
both smiles faded to grim lines. "But this isn't a comedy sketch,   
Ranma, is it? Not some deranged idea coming from the mind of a   
bored genius." Ranma scrunched up his face at that thought, but   
Nabiki just shook her head. "Never mind that. Would you..." her   
features softened slightly, "would you leave? Leave and never   
return? If Vejiita ordered you to pick up and never come back, would   
you do whatever he said?" 

Ranma was silent for a few moments, his eyes closed. "I don't   
want to leave, Nabiki. This is my home. Chikyuu-sei is my home.   
Vejiita-sei may be where I was born, but I was raised here, and I   
want to defend it. If the UN orders us away, then we have no choice   
but to go. Vejiita doesn't want to leave, either, you know, he's quite   
happy here. But given the option of staying on a non-friendly planet,   
or taking a ship and leaving, he would be more than willing to go." 

She leaned forward slightly. "So why does he stay? Why   
does he defend Chikyuu?" 

He shrugged his shoulders, as if the answer was fairly obvious   
to the casual observer. "Bulma is here. His Bonded and Linked mate   
makes her home here, and he would defend her home until his dying   
breath. But if she agrees to leave, then he has no qualms about   
going." He grinned as a thought came to him. "When he left the   
meeting room, he threw out the suggestion of once they were off the   
planet, to just blow it up." He shrugged his shoulders again at   
Nabiki's choked gasp. "It would solve the Hachi problem." 

She cleared her throat. "I...I suppose it would." 

Ranma stood up and moved closer to Nabiki, kneeling next to   
the edge of the bed. "So, are we better now? Is my name still   
Mud?" 

She peered over the pillow that had maneuvered into her lap.   
"It should be," she smirked at his widened eyes, "but it's   
not...Ranma." She smiled, watching him visibly relax. "Did my   
approval mean that much to you?" 

His posture more relaxed, he shook his head, and leaned back   
against a nearby chair. "Nah, not really." He didn't see Nabiki's eyes   
widen drastically, then quickly narrow. "Actually, I could care less,   
but Akane wouldn't sleep with me until I made nice-nice with you." 

"Nice-nice? So you only came here so you could get laid." 

"Uh, yeah..." His danger senses ticked off, registering an   
ominous presence nearby, and he sat up to discover a blood-red aura   
surrounding the middle Tendo sister. "Uh, Nabiki, are you okay?" He   
stood slowly, inching his way to the door, all the while eyeing the   
tell-tale twitch of one eye and the thick vein pulsing on her temple.   
"Maybe I better go now..." 

Praising his speed once again, he whipped out of the room just   
in time to hear the muffled thump of a pillow hitting the solid oak   
door. Followed by an alarm clock. And two pairs of shoes. And a   
suitcase. 

He cringed after each thump. "Geez, what did I say?" 

Supper came and went by fairly uneventfully. Bulma, being the   
smart girl she was, planned accordingly for the stomachs that needed   
to be fed and had rented out a banquet room for their private dining   
pleasure. And to the seven saiya-jiin's salivating satisfaction, much   
food was had by all. Afterwards, the group of fifteen went on a tour   
of the Big Apple, including the UN building where the summit would   
be taking place the next day. At the end of the tour and when they   
arrived back at the hotel, Goku complained that they missed a part on   
the tour. 

"And what part was that, Son-kun?" Bulma asked amusedly.   
She had a feeling she knew what it was. 

The large man pouted, his arms crossed like a child's. "I   
thought we were actually going to see a Big Apple!" 

He slipped out of the room quietly, trying not to disturb the   
older man that already was asleep, if he could have been judged by   
the soft snores coming from the other room. With bare feet he   
made his way down the hall and stopped in front of the elevator.   
Upon entering the large moving room, he pressed the button marked   
'PH', and the doors closed silently. 

When they opened again, a soft chime marking the end of the   
ride, a fairly brisk breeze rushed across his tanned face, and he   
blinked as dust swirled into his eyes. Stepping forward, he moved   
out over the roof, coming to stand next to a lone figure, his eyes cast   
forward into the city-lit horizon. And when he stared out into the   
darkness as well, the answers he sought in the artificially-lit sky did   
not become clear, as he had hoped. 

"You won't find your peace on this rooftop tonight, Ryouga.   
Especially since you have to be watching for stray ki blasts." 

"Why did you bring me along, Ranma? How will I make a   
difference in this city?" 

"I don't know, Ryouga. Call it a hunch, I guess." He shrugged   
his shoulders, glancing to his one-time rival. "But in the grand   
scheme of things, everyone plays a part, ne?" He turned back to   
stare into the skyline. 

Ryouga snorted. "My part is insignificant and pointless; an   
extra that could be played by anyone." He glared down over the edge   
of the building, barely able to see the continuous activity that went   
on no matter what situation arose. "It has no meaning or impact into   
the outcome, and if removed, the scene is not altered on a grand   
scale. Another just shifts to the right to fill the gap." 

"You know that's not true, Ryouga. You're important." 

"That's what you think." The pair was silent for awhile, and   
the only sounds that were heard were distant echoes of fighting.   
"You know, Vejiita and I aren't all that different." Ranma turned to   
Ryouga, a startled look to his face. "Well, in some ways we are   
completely different, but in others our lives parallel each other." 

Ranma was unconvinced. "I didn't know you were a warrior   
prince from another planet." 

He rolled his eyes. "Not in that way, baka. You are my Goku." 

Now he was even more confused. "Nani?" 

"Vejiita and Goku are rivals, are they not?" Ranma nodded his   
head slowly. "As are we, or we used to be." Ranma flinched, but   
nodded again. "Well, when Vejiita was yelling on the plane, his words   
struck a chord in me. He suffered under that Friezer...thing, right?   
He trained and trained, trying to get enough power to defeat him,   
but then all of a sudden, Goku swoops in and takes his revenge out   
from under his nose. Then he has the balls to go super saiya-jiin   
without even trying, right? He didn't train and sweat blood to   
accomplish what he needed to do, it was handed to him on a plate, and   
he didn't even react accordingly to the power bestowed upon him!" 

"So what does this have to do with us?" 

Ryouga exploded. "Everything! Being saiya-jiin, you basically   
were handed all of your exceptional martial arts skills. Akane's hand   
and heart were practically tossed into your lap, and for the longest   
time, you didn't want anything to do with it! And don't even make me   
mention all of the other girls that swooned over you." At this point,   
neither male noticed they gained an audience of the fighters from   
the sky, and a lone female that arrived from the elevator. "All the   
while, I was training and training, trying to learn as much as I could   
to defeat you, but it was all for nothing! You would always have one   
more trick up your sleeve, or one more shot of adrenaline. And I   
thought I finally got to you with the ShiShi Hokodan, but no, you had   
to go and figure it out. You would have never gained access to your ki   
without me, Ranma! Your Moko Takabisha is the result of my training!   
My hard work! And what thanks do I get?" 

Ranma blinked a few times. "Huh?" 

"Exactly!" A dim green glow started to form around the raving   
Ryouga, and his voice lowered to a harsh whisper. "Actually, do you   
know what I got? I got the heartache of knowing that Akane hates   
me. She hates me for loving her. For listening to her when she   
needed a friend. A friendly soul to vent her frustrations over you.   
and now she hates me. The one reason I didn't want to tell her about   
P-chan. I thought I would die if Akane hated me. And I was right,   
although my body hasn't died physically, my heart has. And it's all   
your fault, Ranma. You did it." He started chuckling, and the green   
glow got brighter and brighter. Ranma started to ease himself away   
from the lost boy. "That's it, isn't it? It all comes back to you. You   
you you. Well, when is it going to be me, Ranma? When?? When will   
it be my turn to get the power and the girl? WHEN!" 

With a cry of pain, Ryouga threw his arms up into the air.   
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!!" The roof exploded in a bright green light,   
and several of the observers in the sky had to dash out of the way of   
the powerful blast. 

When he opened his eyes, all he saw was white. Am I blind?   
Did the ki burn out my retinas? He raised a shaky hand to his face,   
and with a sigh of relief, removed the wet washcloth from his   
forehead. 

Sitting up, he glanced around, noticing that he was alone on   
the roof, except for a solitary figure standing in the shadows a pace   
away from him. He sighed and shook his head. "I blew up again,   
didn't I? The pain and anger eating away inside me finally found an   
outlet. I'm surprised I didn't destroy the hotel. Heh, you were   
wrong, Ranma. I did find my peace tonight." He stood up, brushing   
off his pants a bit. "I think it's time for me to get lost. Thank you,   
Ranma. Sayonara." He casually waved his hand and started back to   
the elevator. 

"Don't go, Ryouga." 

He froze in his tracks. "A...A...Akane-san?" 

The dark-cloaked figure stepped into view, and it was Akane.   
A sad look filled her face, and she moved forward, placing a small   
hand on his arm. "Don't go." 

"Akane...I..." 

She shook her head. "I know, Ryouga, I know, and I'm sorry   
for the hell you've been putting yourself through." She withdrew her   
hand when she felt that he wasn't going to leave. "It hasn't helped   
that I've been treating you like pond scum for the past week. I was   
furious at being deceived for so long. It also hurt, a lot, that you   
didn't trust me enough to tell me." She held up her hand when he was   
going to reply. "I know why you didn't, but it still doesn't change the   
fact that you were the one that kept it from me, and forced Ranma   
to do the same thing. Although it's partially my fault for not seeing   
the nose in front of my face, too." 

She sighed and walked around him, so they were face to face.   
She stared into his handsome face, her dark brown eyes focusing on   
his golden brown ones. "I am willing to put the past where it belongs,   
Ryouga, in the past. Bygones be bygones, and all that." She stuck out   
her hand. "Kon'nichi wa, watashi wa Saiya-jiin no Oujo, Saotome   
Akane, desu." 

Ryouga glanced down at her hand and after a moment of   
hesitation, reached out and clasped it within his own. "Watashi wa   
Hibiki Ryouga, desu. A few years ago I fell on accident into a cursed   
pool in China. Now I turn into a small black pig with cold water." 

She smiled, "Really? My mate has a similar curse, although he   
turns into a red-headed floozy. When there is a full moon, we both   
can turn into giant apes called Oozaru." 

"Nani?" Ryouga's eyes went wide and he dropped her hand like   
a hot potato. "Giant apes?" 

Akane giggled. "Hn! Maybe you heard of my long lost uncle,   
King Kong?" Ryouga blinked a few times and Akane giggled again.   
"I'm joking, Ryouga." She smiled and turned around. "Come on,   
Ryouga, it's way past our bedtimes. We need to be out of the hotel   
by eight tomorrow morning, or rather, this morning. You were out for   
awhile." 

He blinked again and shook his head. "You go ahead; I'll be   
there in a minute or so." She nodded and disappeared into the   
elevator. 

Ryouga turned back to the edge of the building and the   
skyline, the haze that surrounded the tall buildings seemed to enclose   
the city like a protective blanket. A small smile crept across his face   
as he stepped onto the ledge. The wind picked up once again, and he   
closed his eyes, enjoying the breeze that blew his dark hair out of   
his face. A look of peace settled on his face, and spreading his arms   
as if to encompass the entire city in his embrace, he let his weight   
shift forward, and he disappeared from sight. 

_The next morning_

Everyone had gathered in the lobby once again, to leave for   
breakfast, but someone seemed to be missing. 

Akane glanced around, the large knot in her stomach telling   
her something was wrong. She finally noticed what was missing:   
Ryouga. She turned to her father, who was reading an article in the   
newspaper. "'Tousan, didn't Ryouga come down with you?" 

The long-haired man shook his head when he looked up from   
the paper. "Iie, Akane, he wasn't in the room when I woke up this   
morning. I just thought he wanted to get in some sparring in before   
breakfast." 

Ranma blinked and turned to his mate. "Didn't he come in with   
you last night, Akane?" 

She shook her head. "Iie, he told me to go without him." A   
stricken look crossed her face. "Do you think he got lost again?" 

He shrugged, "I hope not. But knowing Ryouga, he'll show up at   
some point again." His stomach growled. "Are we ready? My   
stomach is going to start eating me from the inside out if I don't get   
some food in it soon." 

"I believe we are." Bulma called back to them, her face   
flushed from running around. "The limos should be out front. Load   
up, and I'll leave a note with the concierge about Ryouga." 

Outside, a small area was taped off with police barriers, and   
several police vehicles had their flashing lights on. "I wonder what   
happened here?" Nodoka asked worriedly. 

"Do you know how many crimes happen in NYC every night,   
Obaasan?" Nabiki ignored the area and scanned for their rides,   
pointing them out when she found them. "Come on, they're over   
there." 

Kasumi shook her head as she passed the crime scene. "It's   
such a shame to see these types of things happening in the world   
when the Hachi are such a bigger threat to us all." ChiChi nodded in   
agreement. 

In the trash can where Soun threw his paper, the large, bold   
headline read: 

**_"Man Plummets To Death Off Hotel Roof."_**

Breakfast came and went, and still with no sign of Ryouga.   
Akane was still fairly worried, but she knew the martial artist could   
take care of himself. After a quick trip back to the hotel to change   
into more proper attire for the summit meeting, the pair of limos   
pulled up to the large, flagged building. As everyone piled out of the   
cars, Bulma handed out instructions and photo ID's. "At all times this   
ID must be visible on your person. If it isn't, Security will think   
you're just a stranger from off the street, and will immediately   
throw you out. We are the special delegation from Japan, and our   
Ambassador, Yoko Mamoru, will be introducing us." 

"When will that be?" Akane asked, straightening the jacket of   
the outfit she wore. 

Bulma led the procession into the large building, and after   
talking with several guards and a few phone calls, she turned back   
around. "Yoko-san will be meeting us here in a moment to lead us to   
our seats. Trunks, Tobuma, Nabiki, and I will be presenting our side   
of the story after opening remarks from the Security Council. The   
rest of you will be in Japan's area of the General Assembly." She   
glanced at Vejiita and Akane. "One or both of you may be called to   
speak for the saiya-jiin, so be prepared." Akane glanced at Vejiita,   
and both nodded with an identical smirk. 

A large, dark-haired man with striking green eyes strode up to   
their group, and Bulma's blue eyes lit up with recognition. "Yoko-san!" 

"Briefs-san, it's a pleasure to see you once again! The last   
time I saw you in person, and not talked over a staticky phone was   
just before you were taking off on a special adventure." He glanced   
around at the large group and smiled. "Seems like you're still on it,   
almost twenty years later." 

She smirked and shook her head. "You don't know the half of   
it, Yoko-san." She made quick introductions of everyone to the   
Ambassador of Japan to the UN. 

Yoko's gaze lingered on Vejiita, his sharp green eyes taking in   
the powerfully built male carefully. He turned to Bulma. "Your   
husband is the one that arrived in West City, is he not?" Vejiita   
frowned sharply but did not answer him. 

Bulma frowned as well. "He is, but what does that have to do   
with anything?" 

Mamoru smiled and shook his head. "Hopefully, nothing at all.   
Come with me, and I'll get you seated. The session is about to begin." 

__


	32. A Meeting of Minds: Part One

_***LOTS OF AUTHOR NOTES AHEAD!! PLEASE READ THEM!!! THEY **ARE** IMPORTANT.***___

_Yes, I know...I know...it's a couple days late...*everyone facefaults at the absurdity of Gie-chan's statement* What? I said by the 4th...and it's the 6th....a couple days...plus a handful of months..._

_I won't make excuses for why I haven't posted in eons, but I just haven't. I know I've lost a zillion readers, and when people see this on the new chapters page, they're just gonna skip over it, but that's okay. It's my fault for being a lazy @ss, and that's my punishment.___

_I just wanna thank a couple readers for their wonderful reviews over the past months._   
_**Vixen**--she's been on my case for awhile now--and she made a review just to tell me that I was late! *grin* Gotta love the persistent ones._   
**_Sunder the Gold--_**_gotta say that she/he wrote one *awesome* review, summimg up why the main characters, ie: Ranma, Akane, Vejiita, have changed from the original Takahashi/Toriyama 'verse into my own makings. If you haven't read it, go do so. It's like the words were taken directly from my mind. Talk about hittin' the nail on the head...thank you *very* much!_   
**_Shinji Ikari-_**_ah, can't forget about my worst public naysayer. Don't worry folks, I bawled him out in a long and lengthy email on why flaming the phantasmagoric 7th letter is **A Bad Thing. ***evil grin*___

_And, I'd also like to point out something that really upset me a few months ago. An author, who I will not name, since everything is better now, plagiarized Vejiita & Bulma's lemon scene from chapter 8. The only changes that were made were to the names, and a few saiya-jiin/bonding points that would have made no sense in her story. I was *very* upset with this action--it completely threw me for a loop when I was reading the story--"Boy, this sounds sooo familiar..."--and two of my friends, **Selenity Jade & Mia Skywalker** were absolutely breathtaking in their vengence against the offender. I once again thank them for coming to my aid in that matter. The story has been changed, on-site and off-site, so there's nothin' to worry about anymore. Besides being illegal, plagiarism is just wrong, people!!!___

_*cough* Okies, I think I'm done with the soapbox...*grin* Whelp, here's the *first* part of Chapter 31 for you--I think there will be three parts--I have the second just about done,and the third is mapped out. I was gonna wait and post it as one *hell* of a chapter, but I figgered you waited long enough.___

_Thanks for stickin' by me, everyone!___

_Gie-chan_   
  
****

**A Tail To Remember**   
**By: Gie (phowah@cs.com)**   
**** ****

**A Tail To Remember**   
**Chapter Thirty-One: A Meeting of Minds; part 1**   
**********

_~~Outside the U.N. Building, New York City~~_

A camera crew was set up on the bottom few steps, and a smartly   
dressed woman was talking into a camera. "This is Susie Felle, coming to you   
live right outside the United Nations Building where the 68th session of the   
UN Council has just started. President Shamar has just called everyone to   
order. Now, allow me to direct you to a front-row seat for hopefully a   
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of this meeting of the greatest leaders of   
our planet. The biggest topic of the day is of course, the Giant Bees, or   
"Hachi" as we found out from an unexpected source. Bulma Briefs, heir to   
the large conglomerate Capsule Corporation, announced last week that she   
will be bringing with her, along with the much-talked-about vigilantes, the 'Z   
Warriors', highly anticipated information on the invaders. How she knows   
about them when all of the world's governments are completely in the dark,   
hopefully we will find out today in this information-filled, if not   
history-making, day."__

_ ~~Inside the U.N. Building~~_

A sharply-dressed man, blond hair parted down the middle to reveal   
brightly flashing blue eyes, stood in the center of the half-circular dais. He   
pounded a gavel on the block in front of him, trying to bring everyone's   
attention to him. "This special meeting of the 68th session of the United   
Nations of Earth will come to order!" Soon, the loud racket of ambassadors   
from over 100 different countries and numerous guests lowered to a barely   
audible hum. 

He cleared his throat and sat down. "Thank you all. I know we have a   
very important topic on our minds and hearts today, and I want to make sure   
we cover all the bases thoroughly." He turned to the woman sitting on his   
right. "Madam Secretary, please call attendance." 

Akane glanced around the large room, awed at the representation of   
people. Most of the different cultures that Chikyuu held were here in the   
very large room. Her eyes beheld many a gaze directed at her and the   
group; most were curious but every once in awhile a wave of hostility would   
hit her as she locked sights with specific UN members. She leaned over to   
Vejiita, who was sitting next to her, arms crossed tight over his white shirt.   
The black blazer that Bulma had coerced him into wearing was draped over   
his lap. "Did you think that Chikyuu had such a diverse culture? The   
circular seating reminds me of the advisory council floor in the palace." 

He nodded, black gaze scanning the room constantly. "This format is   
very common on many worlds, since just about everyone can be seen from all   
directions, with the leaders in the center of attention." His focus stopped   
at a table where everyone was staring wide-eyed in his direction, and when   
he curled his lip at them, they quickly turned away, making sure their faces   
were obstructed from their view. "It seems I am a familiar face to a few." 

She turned to look to see whom he was talking about. "That's the   
delegation from China. You fought Goku in their country. You would   
probably be the most familiar to them." She turned away from the China   
delegation and searched the room for the delegation from Germany, and   
when she found them, she discovered that the four people were staring   
right at them, calculating looks on each face. She nudged Vejiita and   
nodded in their direction. "Looks like we have more admirers." 

"Who are they?" 

"That's the delegation from Germany. More than likely we are going   
to have the most opposition from them, especially the one on the farthest   
left. That's Dunkirk Spiel. He's Chikyuu's Furiiza." Vejiita growled and   
bared his teeth in the man's direction, and both watched as Spiel raised an   
eyebrow and nodded slightly in their direction before turning his staff's   
attentions to the papers on their desk. 

"Che," he snorted and turned his attentions to Bulma, who was   
talking rapidly with the ambassador that led them into the room. "The   
worst thing that will happen today is that we get to finally leave this   
Kai-forsaken mudball." 

"Let's hope that doesn't happen. I really don't want to leave." She   
glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "You really don't want to make   
Bulma give up her home planet, do you?" He snorted and turned his head   
away. She shook her own head. "Anyway, I don't want to leave   
Chikyuu--neither does Ranma. It's our home now, and we want to defend it,   
and raise our family here. But if we must, we must." 

They both watched as Bulma came back over to their section and   
knelt next to them. "Soho-san said that the Security Council is going to   
announce what they feel is the status of Chikyuu, then open up the floor for   
discussion." She turned her attention to Vejiita. "We're going to be   
speaking in English. Are you going to be able to follow along?" 

He closed his eyes. "Do you doubt my abilities to understand your   
rudimentary languages, woman?" He spoke his words in fluent English. He   
opened his eyes to stare into her bemused blue ones. "I know all of your   
predominant languages, including several that sound very similar to many of   
your 'lost' languages. Your 'English' is close to galactic standard." 

"Okay, okay! Never again will I doubt the word of the Prince of the   
Saiyans." She pronounced it _SIGH-yens_. 

"That is not how you say..." he frowned. 

She cut him off, holding up a hand. "That is the English translation   
for Saiya-jiin, and how it will more than likely be pronounced. Get used to it,   
man." She made sure she stressed the last word.   
  
"Are the four of you ready?" Akane asked, drawing her attention   
away from the argument she sensed was about to erupt. "Is Goku going to   
speak?" She nodded to the three Sons that were sitting next to each other   
further down the row. Ranma and Goku were going over several papers   
spread out in front of them. 

She shook her head. "No, he won't. He backed out at the last   
minute. Nabiki is going to present the defense plans." Her eyes widened.   
"Actually, I need to get those papers from them." She stood up and made   
her way over to where the pair of males were talking quietly between them.   
With a large sweep of her hands, she gathered all of the papers, and neatly   
arranged them in the desired order. "Last minute changes are always bad,   
guys. You were supposed to have given Nabiki these before we even got   
here!" 

Ranma reached out and took them back from her. "We did; these are   
our copies." 

"Oh, sorry." She smiled and put a hand behind her head in   
embarrassment. She snapped out of it quickly when the President started   
to speak again. "Okay, I gotta go. Wish us luck, everyone!" As she passed   
Vejiita, she threw him a heavy-lidded glance, and hurriedly walked away. 

Ranma and Akane both turned to Vejiita, amusement evident in their   
voices. "What was that look for?" 

He grunted, unconsciously brushing his hands across his shirt. "Stay   
out of it, brats." Akane and Ranma just grinned. 

"And now we will hear from the Security Council chief, Shaun   
Levington." 

"Thank you, Mister President." A distinguished older gentleman   
stood, his straight, dignified posture defying the weary look on his   
weathered face. He stepped down from the front table and made his way to   
the podium in the center of the room. "I'm afraid my time on the stand will   
be short. What you see now on your touch-screens is everything the   
Security Council knows, and can project from the scant information we have   
gathered." Behind the president, a large screen descended from the ceiling,   
and showed what could be seen on the touch-screens, for those that did not   
have access to the technology. An image of a Hachi drone took up almost   
the entire face, and several blurbs pointed out various parts of the drone.   
"Here we have a breakdown of the creature. Through eyewitness accounts   
and surveillance tape of actual attacks, we have come to know that the   
antennae of the creature are capable of emitting a green light that has a   
paralysis ability. The wings are functional, and the creature can stand on   
one or two sets of feet--usually the third set--and the first set of limbs   
generally are used as arms. The three-clawed hands are mainly used to   
attach the metal discs." 

The image of the drone disappeared and in its place was an enlarged   
photo of an assimilation disc. "This is the probe disc. Each drone comes   
equipped with four, and they are attached to the creature on the first two   
sets of legs, one per leg. After the green beam emitted from their   
antennae paralyzes the victim, it attaches the disc to the victim's chest by   
means of mechanical arms that retract from the main body of the disc.   
What happens then is that the disc will launch very small machines into the   
victim's bloodstream--nanoprobes, if you wish. From what we know from our   
studies, the nanoprobes attach themselves to the DNA of the victim and   
readily mutate them into an exact copy of the original creature." 

The Security Council chief sighed and rubbed his forehead. He   
turned off the display and the screen rose back into the ceiling. "Why they   
do that, I don't know. Why they are stealing mothers and fathers and   
children from their homes, forcing them to become--whatever they are, I   
don't know. What I do know is that the missing count has risen to over   
eighty thousand, and if we don't find a way to stop them, it's going to keep   
rising and rising until there is no one left to count the missing." Mr.   
Levington shook his head and sat back down. 

After a moment of silence, President Shamar stood back up again.   
"Thank you, Mr. Levington. The council appreciates your hard work and   
diligence against this unknown foe." He glanced around and fixed his light   
blue eyes on the dark blue gaze of Bulma. "Now, since this is a threat to   
security we have never had to deal with before, we are going to do things   
slightly different than normal. What I am going to do is open the floor to   
anyone that might have a suggestion." Several people stood, waiting to be   
recognized by the president. This group included both Bulma and the leader   
of the German delegation, Spiel Dunkirk. President Shamar studied each   
face that stood, and nodded to Bulma. "I recognize Bulma Briefs,   
vice-president and head research and development scientist of Japan's   
Capsule Corporation. Ms. Briefs, if you will." 

Bulma stood and made her way to the front, Nabiki, Trunks, and   
Tobuma following immediately behind her. She placed her papers on the   
podium, and taking a quick glance at the rest of her party, she stepped up to   
the microphone. "Thank you, Mr. President. Many things that Mr. Levington   
brought up are true. I'd like to clear up a couple points first. The   
creatures that are attacking Earth are called Hachi. They are bee-like   
creatures, obviously the physical characteristics give them away, but also,   
they live in colonies called hives, and they create a Queen to lead them all.   
There are several classifications within the ranks, or drones--workers,   
scouts, and warriors that can be distinguished. I believe they also have a   
leadership class, too, but that has not been proven as of yet." 

She glanced around the room. "What I can also tell you is that they   
do intend on taking Earth for their own, assimilating the humans into new   
drones to fill and work in their Hive." Bulma paused for a moment as the   
murmurs started to get louder and continued after they settled down.   
"They are not doing this maliciously--this is their only means of furthering   
their race. They have no sexual organs, so they can not procreate on their   
own, sexually or asexually. This means there is no male or female drone.   
Actually, the only one with a distinguished gender is the Queen--which is a   
native female from the race they are assimilating. They search out the   
strongest specimen they can find, and using a special nanoprobe, create   
their queen--part Hachi and part original species. The reason for the   
special treatment is that the queen needs to be able to be aware of   
everything, including the outside world and the drones themselves, which   
have a remedial hive mind. The queen must be able to make decisions on her   
own, and also be able to defend the hive. She will have the ability to   
paralyze using the antennae, like other drones, but it is significantly weaker,   
since the Hachi DNA within her is not completely dominant." 

President Shamar held up his hand. "Excuse me for a moment, Ms.   
Briefs. The floor recognizes Spiel Dunkirk, from Germany." 

"Thank you, Mr. President." Bulma turned her attention to the   
weasel-like man, narrowing her eyes slightly at the grin he wore. "Thank   
you, Ms. Briefs, for all of this interesting information. But what most of us   
are wondering is how do you know all of this? It sounds like you've had close   
contact with these Hachi on numerous occasions." Spiel sat back down, his   
grin wider as more murmurs ran through the crowd. 

Bulma turned to Trunks and Tobuma, and both gave small nods. She   
turned back to the front. "Personally, I have had no direct contact with the   
Hachi. The first time I was even near them was last week, when they   
attacked Shimigaki Mall. However, my family and friends have had the   
unfortunate luck to be included in the numerous contacts. Through these   
battles, we were able to gather the information that I've presented thus   
far." 

"If I may again, Ms. Briefs. The floor recognizes Sara Cunnigham,   
from Britain." 

"Thank you, Mr. President." A tall, willowy 40ish woman stood up, her   
dark red hair pulled back into a tight bun. "Ms. Briefs, first, could you   
introduce who is standing with you?" 

"Of course. To my left is Trunks Briefs and Tobuma Saotome. And   
to my right is Nabiki Tendo." 

"Thank you, Ms. Briefs. Is Mr. Briefs a relation to you?" Bulma   
smirked and nodded. "I asked you that first, because I recognize the two   
young men as part of the vigilante fighters that have appeared at the attack   
sites. In your brief interview with the reporter from the mall attack, you   
mentioned something about warriors trying to defeat the Hachi. Are these   
two of them?" 

Bulma nodded. "Yes, Trunks and Tobuma are part of the defense   
force against the Hachi, the Z Senshi, or warriors, if you prefer. Using   
highly developed martial arts techniques, they are able to channel their   
inner spirits, or ki, and manifest it into the visual spectrum. Then they form   
and structure it in such a way to be affective as a weapon against the Hachi.   
I've heard various news sources and witness call them 'hand-lasers'. Ki is   
much more maneuverable and controllable than any kind of man-made   
weaponry." 

"That's the scientific explanation for a ki blast," Akane whispered to   
Ranma. He just stuck his tongue out at her. 

Ms. Cunningham blinked a few times, clearly confused, but nodded   
anyway. "If you say so, Ms. Briefs. But that doesn't really answer why they   
are doing it. Why have they decided to fight the Hachi? And why are they   
so secretive about themselves?" 

Bulma was about to answer when Trunks put his hand on her shoulder   
and whispered in her ear. "We can answer, Okaasan." She nodded and   
stepped back next to Nabiki. "We can answer that, Ms. Cunningham. There   
are many reasons why each of us fights. There are many small, individual   
reasons, but the main, underlying one is the desire to raise and protect our   
families in the safest environment as possible. If you had the opportunity   
and the ability to protect your loved ones with any means possible, would   
you, Ms. Cunningham?" 

She nodded firmly. "Yes." 

"And so do we. Through vigorous training, diligence, and sometimes   
hard and stressful situations, we have learned to hone our bodies in such a   
way that we can use our own life forces to protect what we care about and   
believe in. So we do." 

Tobuma, next to him, nodded as well. "And we haven't sought   
publicity for several reasons. One is that the press would not give us a   
moment's peace--what we are doing is for the good of all mankind, not for   
the benefit of celebrity or 'superhero' status. And most of the warriors   
that are defending Earth are not completely out of the public eye. If you   
follow the martial arts circle, you'd find that there is a prestigious   
competition called the Tenka-ichi Budokai, and many of the warriors have   
competed in such an event." 

Spiel Dunkirk stood up again. "That's all well and good, Mr. Briefs,   
but can you explain how you protect your 'loved ones' by killing the people   
that had been assimilated into Hachi?" 

Tobuma spoke up again. "When a human has been injected with the   
Hachi nanoprobes, and the process has started assimilating the original   
DNA, there is nothing that can be done to the victim, except relieve them of   
their pain. Through research on the intact disc we found at one of the   
attacks," Tobuma glanced at Bulma and she nodded, "we have discovered   
that the change is permanent. The process can not be undone. Also, you can   
not reprogram the nanoprobes to change the Hachi DNA into human DNA.   
Research into creating our own nanoprobes is in the works, to try and   
re-mutate the Hachi DNA into human DNA once again, but it will take some   
time before success can be achieved." 

President Shamar spoke again. "The floor recognizes Xi Hong from   
China." 

Xi Hong, a tall, darker-toned man that appeared to be in his early   
fifties stood, nodding to the center of the room. "Thank you, Mr. President.   
Mr. Briefs, Mr. Saotome, could you give a demonstration of such abilities you   
have talked about?" 

The pair of cousins looked at each other, communicating silently, and   
in unison, they turned back to Mr. Hong. They each held up their left hand,   
and slowly a small prick of light formed above the palm of their hands,   
gradually growing larger until it was the size of a large cantaloupe. Loud   
murmurs rippled through the crowd. 

Bulma turned to Nabiki. "What do you know about Mr. Hong?" 

She shuffled through the papers in front of her. "There's not much   
known about him, period. He came from a very remote area of China--not   
much around there except mountains and wildlife." She pulled out a picture,   
and they both stared at it. "You know, if you give the man a lesson on how to   
use hair gel, he sure reminds me of..." 

She took the picture from Nabiki and examined it in detail. "You're   
absoutely right. I could swear that he was..." They mouthed a silent word in   
unison. Their attention was brought back to the main stage when Mr. Hong   
spoke again. 

"You may reabsorb the ki, gentlemen. Can I ask how old you were   
when you mastered manipulating your ki?" 

They glanced at each other again. Looks of unease flashed across   
everyone's faces, including Akane and the rest of their group in the general   
assembly. "We have been able to use ki since we were born, Mr. Hong."   
Tobuma cautiously answered. 

"Not many martial artists have the training, stamina, and heart to be   
able to access their ki. Only the aged grandmasters of very old schools have   
complete mastery over their spirits. And still then, many choose to live a   
peaceful life, using their spirits to benefit nature, and not as a living   
weapon, which in many ways, is the antithesis to the true meaning of ki." He   
glanced down at a cabinet member who nodded back. "How is it that you are   
able to do something that takes decades to learn and even longer to master   
at such an early age?" 

"It is a genetic trait, Mr. Hong." Trunks spoke evenly. His eyes   
narrowed slightly. 

"I see. And would that genetic trait also include other abilities, such   
as flying?" 

"That is part of ki manipulation," his expression softening somewhat,   
"it is a fairly easy technique to use once taught." 

"True, true. Tell me, though, Mr. Briefs, is that tail around your   
waist another genetic trait?" 

Trunks blinked and glanced down at his waist. His dress coat, which   
was closed, hid the furry appendage from view. The only one that had theirs   
out in the open, where it could be seen, was Seiika. But she had worn a   
brown dress suit, so it wasn't as obvious as it could have been. He cleared   
his throat. "What tail, Mr. Hong?" 

"Come now, young man, don't make a fool of yourself in front of these   
people. I know an off-balanced warrior when I see one. You hide it well, but   
you are used to having your tail unfurled, are you not? You're also used to   
carrying something fairly heavy on your back as well--a sword or battle-axe,   
perhaps?" Trunks blinked rapidly, but finally, he nodded. "Do not be   
ashamed of your heritage, young one. Wear it proud--your race is known   
throughout the universe to be strong in mind and in muscle." 

The murmurs that rolled through the council meeting now increased   
to an excited roar. Akane and the rest in the general assembly were   
glancing confusedly between each other. "Is he saying that he knows Trunks   
is Saiya-jiin?" Ranma asked, his brows furrowed in frustration. "Can you   
see Trunks' tail?" His own tail twitched from the hidden position under his   
jacket, around his waist. 

"It seems that Mr. Hong is more than he appears to be," Nodoka   
said, narrowing her eyes at the tall man standing off to the side of the   
room. 

President Shamar blinked a few times in surprise and quickly tried to   
assemble order. "Please, everyone settle down! Chaos will not answer the   
questions you and I have. Mr. Hong, you have made some...interesting   
accusations to Mr. Briefs. Are we correct in assuming that you are telling   
the council that Mr. Briefs is an alien? And if you are, how are you aware of   
this fact?" 

Xi shook his head and smiled. "That is not my story to tell, Mr.   
President. That is for his young highness here to decide." He nodded to the   
wide-eyed look Trunks gave him. "Yes, young sir, I know more than you think   
I do." He turned to the assembly and focused on Vejiita and Akane. He   
bowed deep, his fist on his chest and spoke in an unfamiliar language to many   
ears, save the ones he addressed and their familiars. "My brothers and I   
offer our most humble greetings to you both, your highnesses. We are most   
glad to see the Saiya-jiin race had survived the wrath of Furiiza." 

Vejiita and Akane glanced at each other, both had surprised looks   
splayed across their faces. Akane raised her voice, so she could be heard   
from across the room, speaking in the same rumbling tongue. "Thank you,   
sir. We exist, but just barely, thanks to Furiiza. All of the remaining   
members of our race are here on this planet." She smiled and spoke in   
English once again, so everyone could understand her. "Please, Mr. Hong,   
how are you aware of our secret? We were not going to divulge such   
information to the general public because of the ramifications that it could   
cause." She nodded to the rest of the room, the looks of shock on most   
faces more than ample example to explain her words. 

He bowed again, "Excuse me for my transgression, your highness.   
From the evasive answers the young prince gave, I had an idea that it was   
going to remain in the dark. But for the sake of this world and its   
inhabitants, I felt that them knowing would be a lesser of two evils." He   
turned back to President Shamar. "Please forgive my rudeness, Mr.   
President." He turned and sat back down at his table, the other China staff   
members immediately pulled Mr. Hong into discussion. 

Shamar rubbed his temple. "Somehow I feel that this is going to be   
a lengthy answer. Mr. Briefs, what do you have to say in response to Mr.   
Hong's...declaration?" 

Trunks scratched the side of his cheek and sighed. "I'm afraid, Mr.   
President, you are correct. The answer is a long one--many generations old.   
Too long to get into the fine details. We were not going to reveal this   
information to the public, as she said just before. It is complicated, and we   
worried what affect it would have on the general public when they   
discovered the entire story." He stepped away from the podium and undid   
his jacket buttons. Silently he shed his coat and draped it over his arm.   
"But to answer your question, Mr. President, I don't think I need words."   
Slowly, he unfurled the dark brown furry belt wrapped tightly around his   
waist, and let it thrash around in the air. 

Chaos wouldn't describe the reaction from the crowd. Several   
women screamed in shock and horror, and a few people seem to actually   
lurch back in fear. The people around Vejiita and the rest were staring at   
them silently, their eyes wide with realization that aliens sat among them.   
Akane smiled gently at them, trying to show a more peaceful side to the   
aspect. Vejiita, however, defeated her purpose by growling, and most   
immediately turned away in shock. 

Trunks held up a hand. "Please, do not be afraid. All will be   
explained, if you give me and my fellow Saiyans a chance." 

"Please, everyone, do settle down." President Shamar rapped the   
gavel a few times, his blue eyes flashing into the masses. "It was a   
well-known fact that this conference would give rise to many questions and   
answers. Now, let's give Mr. Briefs a chance to answer some of those   
questions. Mr. Briefs, if you will." 

"If I might have a few moments with the rest of my council, Mr.   
President." Shamar nodded. Trunks turned to the three next to him.   
"When did I become the spokesman for the entire Saiya-jiin race? Wasn't   
Obasan going to be the liaison?" 

Bulma nodded. "She is. You're going to have to introduce her and   
your father." She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Kuso.   
Everyone's reacting as we thought they would. Did you see the look of   
Dunkirk's face when Trunks let his tail fly?" 

Nabiki nodded, her face set in a grim line. "He's got something up his   
sleeve. You'd think that he already knew the alien fact." 

Trunks turned to his mother. "Can you tell 'Tousan that Obasan and   
he are going to have to come down here?" He shook his head. "This isn't   
going to plan, at all." 

"Well, we knew that something would come up about the powers. We   
just didn't expect that there were even more Saiya-jiin on Chikyuu, if Mr.   
Hong is who he alludes to be." 

Nabiki nodded. "He has to be Saiya-jiin. There are too many signs   
pointing in that direction." 

"Exactly." Trunks squared his shoulders and turned back around.   
"Mr. President, in everyone's best interests, I think that information should   
be given on an immediate need-to-know basis. Our story, like I mentioned   
before, is a generations old one, and way too complicated to get into depth   
at this time. For now, I and others that will be introduced at a later point,   
will answer questions to the best of our ability. So, Mr. President, what   
would you like to know?" 

President Shamar raised an eyebrow at the openness of Trunks'   
statement. "Well, why don't you explain yourself first. At first glance, you   
look human, except for the tail, that is." He glanced at the other three   
sitting behind him. "All of you look human." 

Trunks nodded. "Well, you're half right. Mr. Saotome is the only   
other Saiyan at the moment up here with me. Both Ms. Tendo and Ms.   
Briefs are human. Our two races are very similar in physical characteristics.   
You wouldn't be able to tell the difference at a chance meeting, especially if   
our most differiating feature is hidden." The said feature thrashed once   
and wrapped itself around his waist once again. He slipped his arms back   
into his coat, and re-buttoned the front. 

"As you more than likely deducted, our race's designation is   
Saiya-jiin, or Saiyan, if you prefer. We originated in the Deplos galaxy,   
some seventy million light years from here, on the planet Vejiita. About   
thirty years ago, a space tyrant by the name of Furiiza destroyed the   
planet, because he feared our race's strength and abilities, the main one   
being a legend of the universe's strongest warrior, the Super Saiyan. Only a   
bare handful of our race was off-planet at the time, and thus survived the   
planet's destruction. To absolve your fears, Furiiza is dead, defeated by   
the one that you may know as Goku, a Saiyan that was raised here on Earth   
since he was a child. For various reasons that are too complicated to get   
into at the moment, others were also sent away from Vejiita, but for odd   
cosmic reasons, they ended up here on Earth. Over the years, the   
Earth-sent Saiyans have grown to love and cherish this planet as their own,   
acknowledging it as their home. Vejiita may be where they were born, but   
Earth is their home, and have vowed to protect it." 

Trunks paused for breath, and immediately Shamar spoke up. "That   
is a fascinating tale, Mr. Briefs. So, if I am correct in assuming, the Saiyans   
here on Earth are the last of your species, are they not?" He pronounced   
the name, _SAY-yens_. 

"As far as we know, there are no other Saiyans in existence. Records   
that might have been accessed to the whereabouts of others off-planet are   
lost, due to the planet's destruction." 

"And how many are there, residing on Earth?" A member of the   
American delegation spoke up. "Excuse me for interrupting, Mr. President."   
Shamar waved his hand in acceptance. 

Trunks turned to the China delegation. "Can I be safe in assuming   
that you and your kin are fellow Saiyans, Mr. Hong?" 

Xi nodded his head. "Three of us are half Saiyan, half human. I am   
full Saiyan." 

Trunks turned back to the American delegate. "That would bring the   
total to one female, four males and four half-breeds. This total does not   
include me and Mr. Saotome," he nodded in Tobuma's direction, "because we   
are technically not here." 

A murmur rippled through the crowd. "What do you mean,   
'technically not here,' Mr. Briefs?" Spiel chuckled out loud. "That doesn't   
sound very possible, since both you and your friend are here in the flesh." 

"Well, that is true, Mr. Dunkirk, but things aren't always what they   
seem to be. Yes, we may be here, but truly, we are not even born yet." He   
held up a commanding hand, and the room immediately went silent. "Mr.   
Saotome and I are actually time travelers from twenty years in the future."   
He put down his hand and intense conversation filled the room. 

Shamar blinked a few times in shock. Shaking his head to clear it, he   
pounded on the gavel several times. "Quiet, everyone! There is no need to   
get into an uproar over every statement Mr. Briefs says." He turned back   
to Trunks. "Is this a true statement, Mr. Briefs? You are presenting a lot   
of shocking information to us. Even though most of it sounds like a science   
fiction movie of the week, you have backed up your statements. Is there a   
way to validate that you do indeed come from the future?" 

Tobuma stood up. "Actually, if it's okay with you, Mr. President, I'll   
validate my associate's claim." Shamar nodded. Trunks sighed in relief and   
clapped a relieved hand on his cousin's shoulder, giving him a grateful smile   
as he sat in the seat Tobuma just vacated. 

He took a big breath and started to talk. "To explain why we are   
time travelers takes us full circle, and back to the reason we are gathered   
here, and why we are talking with you originally: the Hachi. For you see, in   
twenty years, the fate of Earth has been decided, and is in complete control   
of the Hachi. Both Trunks and I were born and raised under the Hachi   
threat. Our lives have always been overshadowed by the presence of the   
Hachi. We were not normal children that laughed and played lightheartedly.   
We were trained from the moment we could clench a fist to protect Earth   
and her people from the overwhelming threat of the Hachi. For years we   
trained and struggled and fought against the aggressors, but a small handful   
of fighters of even our caliber is not very effective against a million   
paralysis beams. We did what we could, and as the numbers dwindled, we   
grouped together the survivors, hoping that the close proximity of all of the   
survivors would be easier for the remaining warriors, since they only had to   
protect that area, instead of the scattered patches they used to be. But   
the Hachi doubled and tripled their efforts to gain the rest of the humans   
into their hive. One by one, the warriors fell, and so did the dwindling   
number of humans that needed protecting. Soon, our efforts were not   
focused on protecting, but surviving. The Hachi were ruthless in their   
quest, and our thoughts turned to other means. What if it was possible to   
prevent what happened to us? What if somehow, one was actually able to   
travel back in time, like all of those science fiction movies and tales claim?   
Soon our best scientific minds were put to the test, and through many a   
trial and err, our means of transport was created." 

Tobuma moved away from the podium, turned around and Bulma   
handed him a capsule. He then moved in front of the podium and activated   
the small pill, where it exploded into the familiar projector. "If you do not   
believe my words, then believe my eyes. These are the images that both   
Trunks and I have been surrounded by for the past twenty years. This is   
what my father died for, and what my soul still yearns to protect." 

He started the projector and the large 3-dimensional image appeared   
in the center of the room. Shocks and gasps echoed as images once familiar   
to many eyes were now war-torn flashes of rubble, crumbling and abandoned.   
National monuments of many countries decimated to mere pebbles.   
Landmarks and treasures, once beautiful in their majestic prime, now   
decayed and destroyed, never again to see the glory of the days gone by. 

But the familiar scenery soon faded, and the unfamiliar took its   
place. Tobuma spoke up again. "What you see is the final constructed   
product. This is the hive that will be built when the Hachi secure their   
Queen. Over a mile wide and a mile high. All of the central activity   
originates from the Queen and is carried out by the millions upon millions of   
drones she commands." He stared at the image projected in the center of   
the room., and it was a few minutes before he spoke again. "As of the day   
we left our time and turned to this one, there was not one single human left   
alive. Earth had fully become a Hachi hive. And when they strip her off all   
the natural resources and anything else that it will provide, scouting parties   
will be sent to all corners of the galaxy to start the process over again." He   
reached over and turned off the projector, capsulated it and sat in the   
empty seat next to Bulma. 

President Shamar cleared his throat. "I think to better absorb all of   
this information, we should break for an early lunch." Everyone glanced at   
the clock and realized that two hours had passed. "We will re-convene in   
two hours at one o'clock, sharp." He tapped his gavel three times on the   
thick block in front of him.   
  
****** 

_~~Unknown location~~_

He stared into the neat rows, ten drones wide by ten drones long. He   
silently communicated to them final instructions, making sure each and every   
drone would be able to fulfill their part of the design. With a nod of his   
head, the hundred drones launched themselves into the air, staying in   
formation as they filled the sky with their striped bodies and beating wings.   
Another corp of a hundred drones launched themselves after them; each   
laden with four assimilation discs each. 

Daisy shifted to the side and stared into two more identical sets of   
ten by ten rows of Hachi. With another nod of his head, the two platoons of   
warrior drones launched themselves into the air, only going in the opposite   
direction as the first set. He watched as they quickly disappeared from   
sight. 

When he looked back down, he turned back to his original position to   
watch the last of the third set of drones settle into position, ten by ten   
neat rows. With a nod and a flurry of wings, they were gone from sight. 

Another quarter turn and another nod. 

Again. And again. 

Beware, Chikyuu-jiin: The Swarming has begun. 

******__

_ ~~U.N. Building~~_

Immediately, the groups from Western Capital converged upon each   
other. Akane reached out and gave Tobuma a hug, which he returned   
gratefully. Ranma glanced at the four 'delegates'. "So, what do you think?" 

Bulma held up a hand. "I think we need to get out of here, first."   
She pulled a phone out of the bag next to Vejiita. "The banquet room we   
were at last night will be waiting for us, again. Let me call for the limos." 

"You might want to call the banquet hall, Bulma, and tell them to set   
four more settings--but prepare food for twelve," Akane said as she   
released Tobuma from her embrace. "You and your kin will join us for   
dinner, won't you, Mr. Hong?" 

Everyone turned to see the four delegates from China standing a   
respectful distance away. He and the other three bowed at the waist. "If   
you so desire, my lady." 

Ranma snorted and Akane elbowed him in the ribs. "Please, there will   
be no knowtowing in either mine or my brother's presence, ne, Vejiita?" The   
male in question grunted and turned away, grabbing Bulma's arm and pulling   
her after him. She made no sound of protest, still talking on the phone, only   
pointing at the handbag on the floor, which Trunks retrieved as he followed   
after his parents. 

She rolled her eyes and bowed slightly in greeting. "And please, call   
me Seiika. My Chikyuu name is Akane, so you'll be hearing that one, too."   
She turned to Ranma. "This is Serori, my mate, and our various adopted   
family members." She pointed to the rest of the humans. "And I suppose   
you already know Son Goku," the two males nodded to each other, "and that   
is his mate ChiChi and their son, Gohan. Did I forget anyone?" 

Tobuma raised a hand, a grin on his face. 

Akane grinned. "You were already introduced, baka." She rolled her   
eyes. "Tobuma, my future brat." The pigtailed male in question just   
snorted. 

Xi pointed out his associates. "Nanka, Tamana, and Ninjin." Each of   
the three burly males nodded at their name. "The Saiya-jiin name my   
parents gave me was Yuukari, but each of us has a Chinese name, as well. 

"Well, the cars should be waiting for us--why don't we go somewhere   
and eat and then we can talk," Akane suggested. "More than likely, you all   
are just as curious as to why we're here as we are with you, ne?" Xi smiled   
and nodded. "Good, let's go." 

*** 

After finally filing into the banquet hall, and the many voracious   
stomachs were satisfied, everyone settled back for story hour. Akane   
quickly briefed the four new saiya-jiin on her and Ranma's origins on   
Chikyuu, and Bulma told the story of Goku and his arrival, skipping over the   
many various adventures she experienced with the Earth-raised saiya-jiin.   
She also told about Radiitzu's arrival and departure, and the subsequent   
journey Vejiita and Nappa made. 

Xi nodded when she got done talking about the big battle between   
Goku and Vejiita. "We were aware of Son Goku for many years, following his   
growth and progress through the world tournaments." 

Goku blinked in surprise. "You knew I was saiya-jiin before I did?   
Why didn't you say anything?" 

"It was not our business to do such a thing," Xi shook his head. "You   
were content as a Chikyuu-jiin, and there was no reason to disrupt such   
fluidity in your life. What difference would have it made, then?" 

"My reaction to my brother probably would have been a lot less   
violent, for one," Goku frowned. 

"True," Ninjin, the smallest of the four, also seeming to be the   
youngest, spoke quietly, "but then Vejiita-sama would not have come to   
Chikyuu in search of Radiitzu's killers, and that fight set in motion the trip   
to Nameku-sei, which caused the death of Furiiza." He smiled at Goku, the   
thick black ponytail tied at the nape of his neck bobbed back and forth as   
he nodded. "Everything has a specific purpose in our lives, which must be let   
to follow through." 

Xi snorted. "That's the great philosopher showing through." Ninjin   
just shrugged, obviously used to being teased about his ideas. 

"And if the Hachi hadn't come to Chikyuu, me an' Akane would still   
probably have our memories locked away." Ranma stated, staring at his mate   
with a certain fire in his eyes. She returned it with equal fervor. Ninjin   
nodded in agreement. 

"So tell us, Xi, why are you on Chikyuu?" Akane broke her gaze from   
Ranma, focusing on the elder male. "How long have you been here?" 

"The four of us have been here all our lives; we were born on Chikyuu.   
My father was the commander of a first-class purging squad, and his squad   
was on their way back to Vejiita-sei after a several month-long mission on   
the other side of this star system. A brutal meteor shower knocked out   
their navigational systems, sending them off course. Their fuel ran out, and   
they were forced to crash land on this planet. At the time, there were   
seven members of the squad, but two died in the impact from fatal wounds." 

"How long ago was that?" Bulma asked. 

"I was born over a century ago, according to this planet's calendars,   
and I am the oldest of us four. I'd have to say almost 150, 200 years ago." 

"It does make sense," Vejiita spoke, his eyebrows furrowed in   
thought. "Some of the early purging squads went unaccounted for. Many   
times they were defeated in battle, so not much time went in searching for   
the lost ones. And if yours was on its way back from a sucessful purge, they   
would have already reported their success." He looked up and stared into   
the black eyes of the four newly identified Saiya-jiin. "So tell me, Yuukari,   
since you have never been to Vejiita-sei, how did you recognize your ruling   
house?" 

"Our parents' ship may have been damaged, but the data banks were   
not," Tamana explained. He was a solidly built male with a row of spikes   
trailing down the center of his scalp. "You are the perfect example of your   
blood, Vejiita-sama, and Seiika-sama looks enough like you to make the   
connection." 

"And then you did the same with him," Tobuma guessed, nodding to   
Trunks, who sat on his left. Tamana nodded in agreement. 

"I was wondering how in the hell you knew I was saiya-jiin, and when   
you called me 'your highness' I almost swore out loud." Trunks grinned at   
Xi. "I don't think President Shamar would have appreciated that. He was   
having enough trouble trying to keep some sort of semblance of order in the   
chamber." Everyone chuckled at the remark. 

Bulma quickly sobered up. "Discovering you will hopefully be a major   
turning point. We were sort of worried that the Council would make the   
saiya-jiin leave the planet." 

"Why would you think that?" Xi asked, surprised.   
  
"Because we have been here and particpated in society, keeping our   
alien status from authorities." Akane explained quietly. "We weren't really   
sure how they would react knowing they had aliens among them." 

Tamana shook his head. "There were 'aliens' on Chikyuu long before   
our parents arrived. The henka-jiin has been here for eons. They are not   
native to this world--although many times, they are forgotten about, since   
their population is so small in number. Also, the besshu-jiin is another race   
not indigenous to Chikyuu. Although, their numbers are growing more as   
they become less choosy for mates." 

"That makes sense," Bulma nodded slowly, agreeing with the logic.   
"If they force the saiya-jiin off Chikyuu, then they would also have to force   
the other races off Chikyuu, too." 

Nabiki cleared her throat. "We have half hour before session begins   
again," she reminded them, "we should get going back to the UN building." 

"Right," Bulma stood and most of the others stood with her. "This   
session we present our war plans. Are you sure you don't want to talk,   
Son-kun?" Goku shook his head rapidly. Bulma smiled. "Okay, I won't force   
you to. I just know that you and Serori worked hard preparing them." 

"That's okay, Bulma, I'm not a good public speaker." Goku waved his   
hands in front of him. "But if Serori wants to..." 

Ranma shook his head just as emphatically as Goku. "I'm not a public   
speaker, either. I speak better with my fists than with my mouth." The   
rest of the males nodded in agreement. 

"Ain't that the truth," Akane deadpanned. Ranma shot her a look. 

"That's fine, Goku," Nabiki waved her hand, "I don't mind speaking."   
Goku nodded gratefully. 

"Okay, the limos are out front," Bulma said, gathering up her things.   
"Time to head back." She smiled at Xi and the rest of the Chinese   
saiya-jiin. "I hope that after this day is over, we will keep in touch. Chikyuu   
could use all the senshi she can find." 

"That brings up an interesting point," Trunks stared at the four as   
they walked outside to the cars, where they split into three groups. "Is   
there a reason why you aren't fighting with us already?" Trunks, Vejiita,   
Bulma, Ranma, Akane and two of the Chinese saiya-jiin, Xi and Ninjin, piled   
into one. 

"You do know how to fight, though, right?" Ranma asked them. 

"We would be honored to fight alongside you, your highness," Xi   
bowed, his fist on his chest in salute. "We have not become active   
participants because of our status in the UN. As ambassadors, our job is to   
promote peace between the different countries." 

Akane frowned. "What will you do, then? Will you be forced to   
resign your posts?" 

"If it comes to that, Yuukari, Tamana and Nanka will resign, and I will   
retain my post as Ambassador," Ninjin spoke quietly. "If that suits you of   
course, Vejiita-sama." 

Vejiita stared hard at the smaller-statured Saiya-jiin. "You refuse   
to fight," he stated simply. "Were you taught?" 

"Yes, your highness," Ninjin bowed slightly. "I was taught alongside   
my kin." 

"Yet you have gone against your upbringing, the very nature of your   
race." Vejiita scowled. "Or are you more human than saiya-jiin?" 

"Actually, your highness, Ninjin has other abilities that outshine his   
fighting prowess," Xi spoke quickly before anyone got upset. "His human   
mother was the healer of the village, and he became the healer in her place   
when she died." He smiled at his gentle brother. "We've learned to place   
high value in that talent as well as our fighting skills." Vejiita snorted and   
faced away from them to stare out the window. 

"Well, the world always needs more healers," Akane smiled at the   
quiet male. "And who knows when we will need someone with such an   
ability?" 

Ninjin nodded. "I am at your service, your highness." He smiled and   
gestured at her portruding stomach. "I also would be honored to birth your   
heir, your highness. When are you due?" 

She put a hand on the gentle swell and smiled. "In a few months. I   
would be honored for you to be the midwife, Ninjin." 

Ranma scowled. "Akane, I'm not gonna let another *male* look at ya   
down there!" 

"Shut up, Ranma. So does that mean that you're going to deliver   
Tobuma?" Akane rolled her eyes in anger. 

"Well, I thought that's what Fujinkai-sensei was for!" 

"Well, she can do it, Serori," Bulma said, her lips twisted in an   
amused smile, "but wouldn't you rather have someone there who would   
understand a saiya-jiin birth?" She turned to Ninjin. "I would also be   
honored if you delivered Trunks. Seiika and I are due at the same time."   
Vejiita growled under his breath, but Bulma elbowed him in the side as a   
warning. 

"Of course, my lady," Ninjin nodded again. "So both of you are   
pregnant with the time-travelers?" He gave Trunks a smile. The   
purple-haired male just blushed and turned away. 

Akane nodded. "We kind of figured that out when they arrived by   
comparing dates. Also their ki signatures are the same." 

"If I may, Seiika-sama, could I run a quick scan?" Akane blinked in   
surprise, then nodded. Ninjin switched seats with Xi, who was sitting next   
to Akane. He turned to Ranma, and waited for his approval, which he   
grudgingly gave, after an elbow in his side made up his mind. Ninjin laid a   
warm hand over the swell, and softly let it glow with a pale white ki. Closing   
his eyes to concentrate better, he smiled as he slid the palm slightly. "He is   
growing rapidly, Seiika-sama, and very content." He opened his eyes and   
gave the young mated pair an undescribed look. "He will be a powerful   
warrior." 

There's no 'will' about it," Ranma boasted, leaning back in the seat,   
"he already is. Look at who's his 'Tousan!" Everyone laughed at the prideful   
look on Ranma's face. 

The car came to a stop, and everyone piled out, but were unable to   
enter the building due to the mass of newsreporters that immediately   
surrounded them. 

"Ms. Briefs! Ms. Briefs! Are you an alien, too?" 

"Ms. Briefs! Are the Saiyans planning on taking over Earth?" 

"Ms. Briefs! Is it true you're pregnant with an alien's baby?" 

Bulma groaned under her breath as she leaned into Vejiita, who was   
hovering over her. "I hate crowds! I feel like I'm suffocating." 

"I can get rid of them fast, Onna," Vejiita murmured under his   
breath. He let a snarl rip from his lips when a microphone was almost   
shoved up his nose. "Very fast." 

"Stay cool, 'Tousan," Trunks said lowly, "I'll handle this. Everyone,   
cover your ears." He cleared his throat. "HEY!" His roar quieted the crowd   
immediately. Each saiya-jiin had their ears covered and eyes shut tight.   
"Thank you," Trunks continued, at more normal levels. "We will not be giving   
any statements as of this time. And when we do, please think before you   
speak," he leveled a glare at the reporter that asked his mother the baby   
question. "Now, we must get back in before President Shamar re-opens the   
discussions without us." The crowd parted and silently everyone watched as   
Trunks led the rest of the group inside. 

*********** 

_Part two will be out in a week or so. By the end of February, for sure. I SWEAR!! **sweatdrop**_   
_Let me know what you think! I hope it's meeting your expectations...it certainly is mine. ^_~_   
_*grin*___

_There are a couple things I wanted to explain: the besshu-jiin & the henka-jiin. These are the races of sentient animals. The henka-jiin, or transformers, are creatures like Puar & Oolong. The besshu-jiin/distinct species are the people-sized sentient animals, like Commander Yellow, or whatever his name was. Or the dog/wolf mayor of Western Capital. They needed to be explained, and they fit in very *well* with what I was trying to prove.___

_The Chinese saiya-jiin: Where did they come from?? *I* didn't even know they were saiya-jiin until they revealed it to me. Boy, was I surprised! *grin* And their names, Tamana, Yuukari, etc., are just japanese veggie names. *shrug* Go with the flow, ne?___

_Anyways.....___

**_Gie-chan_**


	33. A Meeting of Minds: Part Two

**A Tail To Remember**   
**by Gie: phowah@cs.com**   
***__

_Well, here you go people! The second part of this lovely escapade to New York! *grin* I won't babble too long here--just let me know what you think. I got a sorta...weak...response to the last chapter, so hopefully there will more this time! Gie-chan_   
  


**A Tail To Remember**   
**Chapter Thirty Two: A Meeting of Minds, part 2**   
*****************   
****

Inside the council chambers, everyone silenced when Trunks and the   
rest of the group entered the room. The Chinese Saiya-jiin nodded to the   
others and quickly moved to their own section of the floor. The Japanese   
representative stood up and came to their side, ushering them to their   
section. All eyes were on them, but after a few minutes, conversation slowly   
returned to normal levels. "Did you have a good lunch?" Mamoru asked   
them. 

"Yes, thank you," Bulma replied, running a hand through her straight   
locks. "Although the accousting by the press outside was not the best   
dessert offered on the menu." 

Mamoru shook his head in disgust. "I can imagine. Sometimes I think   
they are more canine than human--they are always sniffing out a story from   
any situation. I had lunch with Shamar this noon." 

"How is he taking everything?" ChiChi asked. "He seemed a little   
overwhelmed earlier." 

Mamoru smiled. "I was overwhelmed, and I knew about the   
non-human part. Although I didn't realize that we had visitors from the   
future." He looked pointedly at Trunks and Bulma. "You are Bulma's future   
son, are you not?" Trunks nodded. "So you are half human." He nodded   
again. Mamoru turned a bit when he heard Vejiita muttering about half   
breed brats. "I was impressed by your eloquence, Mr. Briefs. You too, Mr.   
Saotome." Tobuma nodded his thanks. "President Shamar was very   
overwhelmed by the information, but he took it pretty much in stride. I   
think he would've liked to have been warned, but it's a little late for that   
now. Are there any more secrets that need to be explained before they   
start up again?" 

"I don't think so, Soho-san," Bulma smiled apologetically. "Like   
Seiika said earlier, we didn't really want to reveal the saiya-jiin. They look   
human enough to blend in with society. There are other races on Chikyuu   
that stand out more, and they are accepted as natives." 

"Shamar did have a question, though, and I was unable to answer it   
truthfully, since I don't know the full answer." Mamoru's eyebrows came   
together in a worried 'V'. "What is your stance on Chikyuu?" 

Akane spoke, her voice even and low. "Do you mean how we want to   
be known?" Soho thought for a bit and shrugged. "Well, all of us, save   
Vejiita, have been raised on Earth, and we think of it as our home. We don't   
want to be singled out, or anything like that. Peace is what we're fighting   
for, Soho-san, not recognition." She smiled a bit. "We aren't here to   
conquer Earth, if that's what you mean, Soho-san. We just want to live and   
raise our families in peace. But if threatened, we will rise up and protect   
what is ours." The saiya-jiin nodded in agreement. 

A smile grew on Mamoru's face, and he bowed in respect. "You speak   
with much honor and pride for your people, Saotome-san, and I wish you   
luck, and in the end I hope you get the peace that you so desperately fight for.   
You bring honor to the great nation of Japan." He looked around and when   
he saw the German delegation talking to themselves, he quickly turned back   
to the group. "Just to warn you all, Spiel was very friendly with the press   
earlier. He was throwing some nasty rhetoric to very hungry ears." 

"Like what, Soho-san?" Akane asked worriedly. She felt the   
comforting squeeze of Ranma's tail as it wrapped around her waist. 

"He spouted things about aliens, human-like or not," he glanced at   
the saiya-jiin, "are a threat to the human race." He nodded at the grunts   
and sounds of disgust and disapproval. "I know. He also talked about the   
dangers of leaving the fate of Earth in the hands of such powerful   
unknowns. He said that he and Germany are willing to help Earth and her   
humans. There was a definite stress on the human part." 

"Xenophobic bastard," Nabiki crossed her arms. "I'll give him a   
stress." 

"Nabiki..." Bulma shook her head, but couldn't hide the smile peeking   
at the corner of her mouth. 

She smirked back. "Then we'll just have to see what Mr. Germany   
will have to say against our defense plans." 

Three sharp raps brought everyone's attention to the front of the   
room, where President Shamar stood. "If everyone could start to settle   
back down, I'd like to reopen this summit meeting." He glanced around the   
room as the noise level gradually dropped. When his gaze came to rest upon   
Bulma and the group, he gave them a slight nod, which she returned with a   
smile. 

Shamar sat back down when the room became quiet. "Thank you, all.   
For opening comments, I'd just like to say thank you to Ms. Bulma Briefs and   
her delegation, for coming forward today." Bulma nodded in   
acknowledgement. "What they have presented so far is invaluable to Earth   
and her people. They didn't have to come and tell us what they knew, and   
therefore exposing their nature in such a way and I, for one, am very   
thankful for their cooperation." 

He paused until the almost deafening applause quieted. "I'd also like to   
state on behalf of Mother Earth and her people, we would like to welcome   
the Saiyans to her soil, and into the great melting pot that is composed of her   
people. We are a world of many nationalities, dieties, beliefs, and ideas, and we   
more than welcome a new perspective to our world's situations." He started to   
clap, and immediately, just about everyone else joined in once again. 

The saiya-jiin took the greeting in stride, and when everything   
calmed down, Akane stood up. "May I speak, Mr. President?" 

Shamar gave the unfamiliar young lady a smile. "Please introduce   
yourself first." 

"Of course," Akane nodded. "My given name is Seiika. I am the   
Saiyan Crown Princess and Heir to the Saiyan empire. I am also Akane   
Saotome, wife to Ranma Saotome," she placed one hand on Ranma's shoulder   
and the other on the back of Tobuma's head, "and future mother to Tobuma   
Saotome. On behalf of me, my brother Prince Vejiita and the rest of the   
saiyans on Earth, we thank you for your warm reception. Both Ranma and I   
were raised on Earth from the age of two by very caring humans, who   
accepted their newly-found children with open arms and willing hearts.   
From them and everyone else around us we have learned of the love and   
peace you are capable of, and hope that now that our full status has been   
exposed, nothing will change, and we will still be able to live in relative peace   
and harmony with everyone else. We ask for no special recognition or   
status, only to be given what we earned through hard work and   
determination, just as everyone else on Earth is entitled. We are honored   
to be able to fight united with you for everyone's freedom against the   
Hachi threat. Again, we thank you for your official welcome." She sat back   
down to the roar of applause. 

Ranma leaned over and planted a kiss on her temple. "Very good,   
Hima-chan. Who knew you were such a motivator?" 

"Well, I am royalty," she said in the same tone of voice he did earlier   
when bragging about Tobuma's lineage. He stuck his tongue out in   
retaliation. 

"Thank you, Mrs. Saotome," Shamar nodded back, his smile even   
wider than before. "You and your people are more than welcome. Again, we   
can't thank you enough for what you've done so far for Earth." His tone   
immediately went from warm to serious. "But this does bring up a valid   
point. The Hachi are still at large, and Earth has no manner of defense, save   
the warriors that have been valiantly defending us so far." 

Nabiki stood up. "If I may speak, Mr. President?" 

Shamar recognized the young woman from earlier. "Yes, Ms. Tendo." 

"Thank you, Mr. President." She stepped up to the podium. "Because   
our warriors have been fighting the Hachi attackers, we also know what   
they are capable of, and their manner of defense against our own attacks.   
The Hachi aren't very complicated beings, in general. Their warrior and   
scout drones are fighters. They are experts in hand-to-hand combat, and   
are very agile. Their flight ability gives them a very big advantage to those   
of us stuck on the ground, and they are very fast fliers." 

"But they are not unbeatable. One thing they lack and our warriors   
have in abundance, is ki, or that life energy that Mr. Briefs and Mr. Saotome   
demonstrated earlier. They are incapable of generating it, so if the energy   
hits them, they are injured. But that doesn't mean they aren't capable of   
defending themselves against this weapon. The probe discs have more than   
one use. Along with the injecting of the nanoprobes, they also can absorb ki   
thrown at them, and then send it back at equally rapid, if not faster, speeds.   
But once the drone is relieved of the discs, a properly placed ball of ki will   
distinigrate it." 

"But what does this mean to us, the non ki-wielding members of   
society? How can we protect ourselves against a maurauding party of   
Hachi? Well, one thing would be to learn and master several types of   
martial arts, including both hand-to-hand styles and weapon styles. But,   
being normal humans, that is slightly beyond our reach." She let a smile   
echo the laughs that surrounded her. "Exactly. Pretty near impossible." 

She sobered up quickly. "To tell the truth, there is not much a single   
person can do when met face-to-face with a drone. The best thing to do is   
run and hide. Pray that it does not come after you." 

"Then what is the point? Why have you come here, if we can not do   
anything to protect ourselves?" A woman from the French delegation spoke,   
her arms thrown high into the air in exasperation. "It seems that we are   
doomed to fall under the Hachi control, and become drones." 

Nabkiki opened her mouth to reply, but Dunkirk stood and   
interrupted her. "It does seem very fatalistic, doesn't it? But it doesn't   
need to be that way." 

"And what do you propose, Mr. Spiel?" Nabiki questioned him,   
crossing her arms. "What is your plan to save the world?" 

"My, a sharp tongue will not solve anything, Ms. Tendo," Dunkirk   
smirked. "I will not save the world, my dear. I am only one man--and as you   
stated, what can one man do against these galactic invaders? But what my   
associates and I have done is detail a plan that each government will   
welcome with open arms. We can not just sit back and let these aliens take   
over our world." A well-planned glance to the saiya-jiin in the Japanese   
delegation turned the vocalizations of agreement into a dull roar. And all   
the while Dunkirk's smile grew bigger and bigger. 

"That is true, Mr. Spiel, we can not let the Hachi take over the world." She   
stressed the real threat. "What would suggest be done?" Nabiki crossed her   
arms, throwing Spiel's smirk back in his face. 

He didn't let her faze him. "What my associates and I present, along with   
the collaboration of Germany's highest generals, is this discourse to   
the Security Council." An extensive outline became visible on the touch screens.   
"Within it outlines what the assembled armies can do when the Hachi atttack." 

"That sounds nice and longwinded, Mr. Dunkirk, but what would you   
do? Have legions of soldiers patrol large metropolises and contrysides?" 

"Yes, that is one aspect." He nodded. 

"How about the local populations? Have them travel around in large   
groups? Safety in numbers, correct?" Nabiki stared hard at the smile   
disappearing off Spiel's face. 

"Correct..." 

"Wrong." She stepped away from the pdium and walked across the   
platform so she stood directly in front of the German delegation. "That is   
the exact opposite of what needs to be done to protect everyone. That plan   
will get everyone killed." 

"Now, see here, Ms. Ten..." 

"No, you see here, Mr. Dunkirk," she cut him off again with a wave of   
her arm. 

Akane smirked and leraned close to her brother. "She's going in for   
the kill now." Vejiita nodded, an indentical smirk on his lips. 

"Let me tell you what is wrong with _your_ plan. If you have patrols   
of soldiers, not only do you cause mass panic and confusion from the   
residents, but also you are also putting these soldiers in prime spots for   
Hachi attacks. Yes, they will be armed," she held up a hand to stop Dunkirk   
from interrupting her, "but the guns and such can't do much against a   
hundred paraylsis beams. Guns need people to make them work." 

"And it works the same way with people traveling in large groups.   
Might as well have regular offerings." 

Shamar frowned. "Ms. Tendo, plesae." 

"I apologize, Mr. President," she bowed slightly in apology.   
"Sometimes it's rather frustrating when people don't stop to think." 

Dunkirk didn't let the barb affect him. He spoke again, a neutral   
look to his angular features. "You made your point, Ms. Tendo. But then   
what do you suggest, since everything some of the greatest military minds   
in this century put together is all wrong?" 

"I'm so glad you asked, Mr. Dunkirk," Nabiki's tone turned   
sugary-sweet. "If everyone could take a look at their touch screens, you will   
see a list of what our warriors have compiled to present to the Security   
Council and the different major countries." The screen from earlier came   
back down behind her and displayed what she was talking about. 

"First and foremost, the inforation I present is generalized, so the   
public can be as well informed on their safety as much as the council.   
Everyone must know what to do in case an attack happens in their area.   
For the general public, the most important thing is to go about your daily   
lives as normal as possible. The attacks are random--there is no definite   
pattern that can be mapped or predicted. But should you be in the area   
where one is taking place, here are a few tips to stay safe." 

She looked up into the crowd. "Don't be stupid. If you see a drone,   
don't go trying to attack it. All you will do is present yourself as an easy   
target. Hide from their view. They have no real means of detecting   
lifeforms, so if they can't see you, they can't get you." 

As Nabiki was talking, Ranma was watching the other people in the room,   
taking in everyone's reactions to the plans he, Goku, Ryouga devised.   
They all had worked long and hard, trying to make them simple and   
easy to understand and implement, with the least amount of casualties as   
humanly possible. And when Vejiita had pulled him out of the room the   
other day, they went over the plans again, and the elder saiya-jiin gave many   
pointers and ideas that the original three never even thought to implement.   
He let his blue gaze settle on the elder male, taking note of the satisfied   
smirk on his face. _He really knew his stuff. Guess that comes with bein' a_   
_warior for all his life, plus the royalty trainin' that he got on Vejiita-sei. _ He   
nodded back at Vejiita when they locked gazes. 

Vejiita grunted and turned back to the main arena where his sister's   
adopted sibling was detailing the different implements for the armed   
forces. _Have to admit, the female can hold her own under hostile situations._   
_Could tell that she wanted to strangle the baka._

Something in the corner of his mind fuzzed, and he frowned, scanning   
the room once again. As he turned to the side, he caught the gaze of the   
other two male saiya-jiin. It seemed he wasn't the only one that felt the   
disturbance. 

Goku jerked his head in the direction of the door, and the other two   
males nodded in agreement. When all three stood up, Akane looked into   
each of their faces curiously. "Where are you going?" she hissed, trying not   
to attract any more attention than necessary. 

"Never mind, Seiika," Vejiita grunted, "stay here and watch the   
proceedings." 

Her hand flashed out of view and Ranma covered his mouth the stifle   
the yelp that fought to escape as her fingers curled tight around his tender   
appendage. "Tell me now!" 

"Akane, let go," he hissed back, his face scrunched up in a mixture of   
pain and anger, a rare emotion seen on the young male's features. 

So rare, the female in question let go in surprise. "Then tell me   
what's going on!" 

Ranma sat back down, and nodded to Goku and Vejiita to leave the   
room, which they did, wrapping their own tails tightly around their waists.   
"Didn't you just feel that before?" 

"I felt something, but I didn't think it was anything other than the   
malevolent feeling coming from the audience." She frowned and stared hard   
at her mate. "Is it something else?" 

"That's what we're gonna go see. It was too strong and...wrong...to be   
a couple humans giving us the evil eye." He stood back up. "We'll just take a   
look around. I'll let you know if we find anything, ne?" He smiled   
encouragingly at the hesitant nod he received. "Besides, you need to be   
here for moral support. Although, Nabiki is doin' a damn fine job." 

"I'll make sure to let her know you're her number one fan." 

He leaned back down and nipped her nose quickly. "Thanks,   
Hima-chan." He smiled again and quickly left the room. 

She watched his lean figure retreat, a worried frown creasing her   
smooth skin. "I hope they don't find anything." When she turned back to   
the front, both Trunks and Tobuma were staring at her, deep crevices of   
concern etched over their features. "Looks like someone else felt it too."   
She shook her head silently and indicated to watch Nabiki. Both reluctantly   
returned their attentions to the matters at hand, where Nabiki was   
answering a question posed by the Security Chief, Shaun Levington. 

"Well, Mr. Levington, we were hoping that we would be getting   
permission and full participation from the American and Russian   
governments. Combined, they have the best network of satellites orbiting   
Earth, and if used properly, we would be able to establish a fool-proof   
early-warning system. Since the satellite Capsule Corp has can only do so   
much, it would be a literal asset to have these satellites broadcasting in our   
favor. Our own warriors can only do so much in the detecting department." 

"What do you mean by that, Ms. Tendo?" One of the Russian delegates spoke   
up. 

"Which part, the warriors or the satellites?" 

"Explain both please, just in case." 

She nodded. "Of course. The Z warriors have an interesting ability   
to be able to sense higher-powered beings--that is, people with a   
higher level of ki than a regular human being. The drones don't have a   
distinguished level of ki from a normal person, so it is impossible to detect   
them in that way. But with the satellites, we hope to be able to detect them   
in flight, since they travel in larger groupings. Although, we will need   
picture along with that. Wouldn't want to send them after a flock of   
migrating birds." She bared her teeth as the room chuckled at her attempt   
at humor, followed by healthy conversation at what she had presented as so   
far. 

"It seems like we may pull this off," Tobuma quietly commented to   
Trunks behind her. 

"Hopefully. Although, I didn't expect such discord." 

Bulma shook her head. "We have good, sound plans, thanks to Goku   
and Serori. They did an excellent job." 

"I have a question, Ms. Tendo," Jacob Marro, another member of the   
British delegation stood. "What about the warriors, then? How will they   
work into these plans? Because so far, you've presented what the humans   
can do to protect and defend themselves from the Hachi. At some point, we   
want them defeated." A generalized murmur of agreement rumbled through   
the room. 

Nabiki sighed and turned off the screen. "That is a valid point, sir,   
and a serious one. We have, as an unit, only about a dozen warriors that   
have the ability to defeat the Hachi. A dozen warriors against tens of   
thousands of Hachi drones are not very good odds, even with the   
fantastic abilities they possess. But also, we didn't have the knowledge of   
where they were striking--we only knew where they were by the news   
broadcasts to tell us where the attacks were happening. And sometimes--a   
lot of times--it wasn't soon enough. But with the advanced warning from the   
network of satellites, we should be able to get our warriors to the attack   
sites that much faster." 

"But this is also a two-part deal. If the people aren't doing their part   
by making themselves prime targets, then the situations will become worse."   
She shrugged her shoulders in defeat. "They can't help those who can't help   
themselves." 

"That is a very cold statement, Ms. Tendo," President Shamar said,   
frowning. "Sometimes situations will arise that can't be avoided." 

"Of course, Mr. President, I understand that. I was mainly referring   
to those who know how to protect themselves and others and refuse to do   
anything about it." She purposely stole a glance to the German delegation,   
and noted with some surprise that they seemed to be listening to what she   
was saying. _About damn time, I'd say._

She also saw as her gaze panned the room, that three seats   
surrounding her younger sister were empty. And the female in question had   
a look of worry plastered across her face. "If that's not a look of impending   
doom, then I'm the next Queen of the Saiya-jiin," she mumbled to herself. 

"What did you say, Nabiki?" Trunks leaned forward, his intense azure gaze   
boring into her own toffee one. 

"Never mind," she shook her head, trying to control the blush that threatened   
to warm her cheeks. 

President Shamar stood up again, trying to bring the room to order.   
"Thank you, Ms. Tendo, for your presentation. Mr. Levington, did you want   
to make any other comments?" 

Shaun Levington stood up. "Yes, Mr. President. Actually, I just   
wanted to thank Ms. Tendo, Ms. Briefs, Mr. Briefs and Mr. Saotome for all   
of the information and suggestions brought to the table today. The   
Security Council has a lot to go over, and many decisions to make during the   
coming days. Thank you again." He sat back down amid a roar of applause. 

"It seems we have made quite a bit of progress here today, and quite   
a few revelations have been made that will change the way we view our world   
from now on." He nodded to Trunks and Tobuma. "And finding friends and   
allies in stressful situations is always welcome, even if they came from the   
most unlikely of places." The set of cousins nodded back. 

"Mr. President, can I ask a question?" Bulma raised a hand to get   
attention. Shamar nodded his agreement. She turned to Levington. "Mr.   
Levington, I was wondering when will we know when you've come to a   
decision?" 

Shaun cleared his throat. "After the Security Council and I have   
met and discussed what was talked about here, we will come to the decisions   
needed. Then we will bring our plans to the general assembly, where they   
will be discussed again, and voted upon. Then they will be dispatched to the   
rest of the world." 

"So what is the time frame from the end of this summit to the world   
implements what you have decided. A week? Month? Several months?" 

He cleared his throat again. "I can not give you a set timeframe, Ms.   
Briefs. It will all depend on how well we agree in each setting." 

"So while you're debating the use of satellites, the Hachi are   
attacking cities and taking away it's residents. Something needs to be   
decided, today, Mr. Levington, for the sake of Earth and her people." A loud   
rousing of agreement answered her call to arms. 

"She's right, Mr. President," Sara Cunningham spoke up again. "At least, a   
statement must be released. The public needs to know how to defend   
themselves against an immediate threat. By leaving them in the dark, the   
only thing it accomplishes is raising the missing count." 

Bulma nodded in gratitude to the British woman. She was glad that   
one of the ambassadors spoke up in agreement with her. She sighed and sat   
back to watch the debates ensue over what the public needed to know. 

***** 

**_ ~~Times Square~~_**

A large crowd gathered around the giant screen in Times Square,   
which was broadcasting the proceedings from the UN building. Many cheers   
and gasps ran through the crowd in waves, as information was revealed, both   
about the Hachi and about the warriors themselves. A rousing cheer went   
up when they heard the British delegate speak up on their behalf. 

Although some weren't convinced of the fact that the Hachi were a   
threat to national and world security. The idea of a government scandal was   
brought up, but the dissenting voices were quickly drowned out by others   
that said they had friends and family members missing in the areas of   
where Hachi attacks were reported. One person actually said they saw a   
raid happen, and escaped alive. 

One young woman was talking with another about the loss of her   
friend when the child holding her hand started to tug for attention.   
"Momma, Momma! Look't the birds!" 

"Shush, Sammy. I'm trying to talk." 

The little girl was quiet for a moment but then started again to tug   
on her mother's sleeve, this time more incessantly. "Momma, they're gonna   
land on our heads!" 

"Stop talking nonsense, Sammy," the mother scowled down at the   
child, then up in the air where Sammy was pointing. "The birds are not   
going to land...on..." Her eyes widened and a scream ripped from her throat   
when she realized that the black and white cloud rapidly descending from   
the sky was not a large flock of migrating geese. 

"HACHI!!!" 

The crowd erupted into total terror when others took notice of the   
approaching doom. People were trampled by others in their mad attempt to   
escape the threat of being assimilated. Others were frozen to their spots   
in abject horror, their feet petrified in fear. No one took notice that the   
mass of black and white flying creatures spilt into four groups, three going   
in opposite directions, and the fourth remaining over Times Square. The   
only thing they did notice under the green light was their inability to move. 

The rapid beating of wings was the only noise that was heard over   
the sound of the screaming humans as their bodies mutated into drones. 

**********__**

**_ ~~Inside, UN building~~_**

"Again, I want to thank Ms. Briefs and her delegation for coming   
forward today. Madam Secretary, please announce the next item on the agenda." 

The four speakers quietly left the stage area and made their way to   
where the others were sitting. She gathered up their belongings. "Let's   
get out of here and regroup." They made their way out of the large meeting   
room, Bulma giving a smile and a nod to the Chinese delegation. Yuukari and the   
other three replied in kind. 

But as they made their way to the door, it burst open before them   
and revealed a very distraught-looking Ranma, his chest heaving from his   
quick flight there. Immediately, he spotted Akane, and made his way to her   
side. "We gotta seal this building up! The Hachi are attacking New York   
City." 

Everyone was wondering what the excited young man said, for he   
spoke in rapid Japanese. But two words did register: Hachi and New York   
City. Loud murmurs rumbled through the room. 

"What's going on?" Shamar spoke up from the main platform. 

Trunks quickly turned around and explained what was going on as   
Ranma informed the rest of the group the situation at hand. "Mr. President,   
is there a way to seal off the building?" He jumped up on the stage. 

"Yes," he nodded slowly, "all of the doors can be locked   
automatically. Why do you ask?" 

He stepped closer to the president and spoke quietly, making sure   
that the other delegations could not hear him. "The Hachi are attacking   
New York, sir, and we need to seal this building." Trunks took off his coat   
and threw it on a chair. "How soon can it happen?" 

After Shamar recovered from the shock of that statement, he   
reached into his pocket, pulling out a small cell phone. "The doors can be   
sealed in ten minutes." 

Trunks nodded and took off the tight dress shirt and tie, revealing   
the tank underneath. "Do it then." He reached behind him and a large   
sheathed sword appeared, the ornately decorated handle gleaming in the   
florescent lights. He heard several gasps, and smirked at the advantage of   
a subspace pocket. He unsheathed the thick sword and threw the case on   
his other clothes. "There are other people in this building, right?" Shamar   
nodded, staring wide at the sharp edge of Ke'petik. "They'll need to know   
why the doors are sealed." He heard another round of gasps as Tobuma   
pulled his own sword from subspace. 

"I...I can have an announcement made over the intercom system. Mr.   
Briefs...where did you get that sword?" He tried to look behind the   
purple-haired male, but could not fathom where it came from. 

Trunks smirked and pulled the blade closer to him, letting the low   
hum sing in his ears. "From my father." He nodded to the blond man and   
turned to the rest of the room. "Attention, please! Within ten minutes, the   
doors of the UN building will be sealed tight. This is for everyone's   
protection." He took a deep breath and prepared for the onslaught. "The   
reason my uncle came rushing in here was to announce that the Hachi are   
attacking New York City." He quickly covered his ears. 

He was justified in his act. Many people screamed and attempted to   
leave the room, but Ranma, Tobuma and the fathers prevented them from   
leaving. "Please, don't panic. Remain in your seats and stay calm." Tobuma   
held up his hands. "The Hachi are not in the immediate vicinity, but they are   
close. We are doing this for your own protection." 

"What about everyone else? All of the reporters outside?" Someone   
shouted out. 

Tobuma nodded to Soun and Genma, and they immediately left the   
room. "They will be brought in. And we are on our way to protect everyone   
else." He turned to his father, who was quickly filling in Trunks. "So what   
now?" 

"Well, we're gonna go fight the Hachi." Ranma said grimly. "We   
spotted three separate groups. Goku and Vejiita are at Times Square,   
taking care of one. Trunks and I will go to another, and Tobuma and Gohan   
can go to another." 

"Now, just hold on a minute!" ChiChi sputtered, her face turning red   
in anger. 

"No, ChiChi-san, I need everyone." Ranma's tone held no room for   
arguments. 

"Then that means me too, Ranma." Akane said, standing up from her   
seat. 

He looked at her and shook his head. "You know better, Akane. I   
need you here, in case they would get in." She glared at him but nodded in   
agreement. 

"Is there a way to get in contact with Piccolo-san?" He turned to   
look at Gohan. 

"Well..." 

The youngest warrior started to speak, but a soft voice entered   
their heads. _"At the moment, Piccolo, Kuririn, and Kamesen'nin are fighting_   
_a different swarm, Serori. They are unable to assist you."_

"Nani? Who in the hell was that?" Ranma looked around, his eyes   
wide. Everyone else in the room seemed to hear the disembodied voice as   
well. 

"That would be Kami-sama," Bulam smirked. 

"Oops!" he held a hand behind his head in embarrassment. He quickly   
sobered up. "Another attack? How any are there?" 

_"There are nineteen other spots the Hachi are attacking."_ The voice,   
newly identified as Kami, replied. _"Concentrate on this attack, Serori; you'll_   
_need every bit of power to defeat them."_

"Nineteen other spots!?" Bulma echoed outrageously. "But how can we   
protect Chikyuu..." 

_"Do not fret, child," _the soft voice caressed their frazzled nerves,   
_"it many seem bad, but have faith."_

Ranma snorted. "Of course a kami would say have faith," he grunted   
and shook his head. "Anyway, we need to worry about us, right now. We   
have a city to save." 

At that moment, the pair of fathers came back. "Everyone that was   
outside is safe, Ranma," Soun reported, "the doors will be sealed in five minutes." 

He nodded. "Good. Pop, you come with me and Trunks, and Mr. Tendo   
goes with Tobuma and Gohan. Akane, give them swords." She nodded and   
reached behind her, pulling out a long blade. She handed it to her father,   
and then pulled out another one, handing it to Ranma's father. 

She quirked a lip at the surprised looks. "What, did you think we   
came unprepared?" 

"Okay, now, let's go." Ranma spat impatiently. As he turned around,   
he almost ran into the Chinese delegation. "Oh geez, I forgot about you   
guys!" 

"We thought so, young lord," Xi smiled. "Would you like some help?" 

"You don't have to ask twice," he nodded gratefully. "We've got   
three corners covered. You can take the fourth." 

Xi nodded. "Ninjin will stay here and help her highness protect the   
ambassadors." 

Ranma nodded, a smile breaking out across his face. "Even better.   
Thanks guys." He glanced around at the group, his clouded gaze lingering on his   
mate. "Let's go." They quickly left the room. 

Akane sighed and turned back around, catching the worried eyes of   
President Shamar. She made her way to the front. "Excuse me, Mr.   
President, but do you know where they are holding the reporters?" 

Shamar nodded. "More than likely. Follow me, Mrs. Saotome." He   
led her out of the room and down a few halls, to where the press was talking   
loudly in another large meeting room. It took a few minutes, but President   
Shamar got their full, undivided attention. "Excuse me, I know you all want   
to know what is happening, so we will explain what is going on." He turned   
to Akane. "Did you want to say something?" 

"I did," she nodded to Shamar and then turned to the rest of the   
room. "I need one representative from each of the major news networks,   
and your crew, to follow me, please." A few moments later, Akane led the   
small group of media members to a smaller conference room. "Please, set up   
your equipment. I'm going to make a statement about what is going on." 

The TV crews never worked so fast. All too soon, everything was set   
up, and several microphones were shoved in her face. She took a deep   
breath and started to speak. "Hello, my name is Akane Saotome, and I just   
wanted to let you know what was happening. Everyone needs to be informed.   
Less than half an hour ago, several warriors spotted a swarm of drones over   
New York City. Please, do not panic. Try to get inside as soon as possible, so   
you are not a viable target. Remain there until everything is in the clear.   
The most important thing is to remain calm with a clear head. All of the   
available warriors are out trying to defeat the drones. Thank you for your   
cooperation." 

****** 

**_ ~~Times Square~~_**

"Che, I didn't realize that Seiika knew how to remain calm with a   
clear head." Vejiita grunted as he attacked the cloud of drones using the   
green paralysis beam on the crowd of people. The drones were unable to   
defend themselves, since they did not have any assimilation discs, so he and   
Goku worked quickly to try and dispose of as many as possible. But once the   
drones on the ground realized they were under attack, they rushed into the   
air to defend the others. Now they had to fight twice as many. 

Goku kicked a drone in the midsection, and watched as it fell into   
three others, knocking them to the ground as well. "That's not a nice thing   
to say about your sister, Vejiita. You have just as short fuse as she does.   
HA!" He launched a large sphere of ki at the four stunned drones,   
disintegrating them on contact, and injuring a few others before the ki was   
caught and thrown back to the owner. He pulled out a sword from behind   
him and charged a group of twenty or so drones, getting close enough to   
slice a few antennae off with a mighty swing. Another swing severed several   
more heads. 

"Watch it, Kakarotto, or I'll show you just how short my fuse is."   
Vejiita returned his concentration to the ten drones that surrounded him,   
and blurred out of sight. The only evidence he was there was a flash of   
black through the shower of blue liquid that erupted from each of the   
bodies as he attacked them head on. 

After awhile, the number of drones emitting the green paralysis light   
dwindled, and as it decreased, the amount of people frozen decreased as   
well. When they realized they were no longer trapped, they high-tailed it   
out of harm's way. 

Goku noticed the dwindling numbers as well. "Come on, Vejiita. Let's   
kick this up a notch." With a loud yell, the aura surrounding him burned a   
bright yellow, and he flared into super form, Vejiita following his example   
immediately. Their constricting clothes immediately burned away in the   
heat of their auras, leaving them clothed in tatters. 

The saiya-jiin prince cracked his knuckles and flicked his tail once   
before it settled around his waist. "My blood sings for your entrails,   
drones!" He laughed out loud and launched himself into a large group of   
drones attempting to assimilate a cluster of humans. Goku watched as the   
drones and the morphing-drones exploded one by one as the golden blur took   
no prisoners. He shook his head, a smirk curling at his lips as he fell to the   
ground to join his warrior brother in the slaughter. 

**** 

**_~~Staten Island~~_**

_Come on, people! Stop trying to run in the way of the damn drones!_   
Ranma growled to himself as he tried to usher a cluster of frightened kids   
inside a store. "Hide! Stay!" He spoke as clear as he could. _Bad time to_   
_regret not listenin' in English class..._ "Oyaji, help me get these people   
inside!" 

Genma came over and held up his meaty arms. "Stay! Hide!" He put   
his arms down when the kids screamed in terror. "What's wrong with them,   
now?" 

"Maybe if you stop waving that sword in the air, they'd listen to ya   
better," he snapped at his father, slapping him upside the head. Genma   
stuck his tongue out in retaliation. A loud scream made them turn their   
heads. "Come on!" They ran down the road, and when they turned the   
corner, they skidded to a halt. Five drones were surrounding another group   
of young adults. Two drones had paralysis beams and the other three were   
mounting the discs on the prisoner humans. "Oh no, you don't," Ranma   
growled audibly before he launched himself at the cluster. "Use the sword,   
Pops!" 

Genma nodded and swung the blade at the drone that Ranma was   
pinning, taking off the head. Ranma jumped out of the way, barely missing   
Genma's swing with his own head. The pair of martial artists stared at each   
other for a second before Ranma bared his teeth at his adopted father.   
"Next one!" Ranma jumped onto the back of another drone and brought him   
to the ground, while Genma slit the drone's throat, severing the head along   
with it. 

A scream brought their attention back to the other three   
drones--that now totaled eight. "Kuso..." Ranma swore and jumped to his   
feet. "Stand back Pops, I'm gonna power up." Genma did as he was told and   
watched with awe as the golden power swirled around the young male's form   
and exploded through the air as a shower of ki launched itself at the eight   
drones. "Moko takabisha revised: Supersonic Tail Twizzler!" The large balls   
of ki whizzed around the forms of the drones, circling the Hachi in the same   
yellow light. When the drone was thoroughly confused, trying to track the   
ki sphere, Ranma clapped his hands together and the sphere drove itself   
through the chest of the Hachi, detonating it in a blast of yellow light. 

When the area was dim enough to see, Gemna smirked at his   
golden-haired son. "Nice attack, Ranma." He blinked at his state of   
undress. Ranma's shirt and tie had completely burned away, and his   
trousers were reduced to ragged shorts. 

"Arigato, Oyaji. Vejiita-ouji helped me with that one. It's a variation   
of his Big Bang Attack. Come on, let's go find Trunks." The pair didn't   
have to run to far. They arrived within moments to find Trunks slicing   
through a large group of almost a hundred drones. "Where are the humans,   
Trunks?" Ranma called out as he formed a blade of ki and attacked several   
drones with it. 

"What humans?" he returned, flicking his blade to rid it of the thick   
blue substance that oozed from each of the drones, then going head on into   
the fray once more. "Where were you?" 

"Down the road a bit, playing with our own clutch. You want to try   
the double spiral?" He ducked a foreleg that attempted to rip off his head.   
"Not today, ya striped flea." He slashed with the ki blade and the leg that   
tried to decapitate him fell to the ground, and Ranma quickly turned around   
to slice off the head as it screamed its pain in a high-pitched keen. "Damn,   
they're loud!" 

Might as well," Trunks replied, looking around. "I don't see any   
humans that can get in the way. You take inside, since you're super already." 

"Right." 

Gemna glanced between the pair of saiya-jiin. "Double spiral?   
What's that?" 

"It's another technique we've been working out. It's a variation on   
the hiryuu shoten ha. Since the drones don't have a ki, we need to use our   
own to create the cyclone. What, did ya think I was just playin' house with   
Akane in Western Capital, Oyaji?" He smirked at the dumbfounded look   
upon Genma's face. "Ya better duck into one of the stores, Pops. This   
twister's gonna be big." 

The burly martial artist took heed of his son's words, and watched as   
Ranma flared his golden aura, so he burned like a miniature sun. He started   
to circle the group of drones, herding them to a tight group, while flaring   
his aura nice and hot. A blast of cold wind made him turn his attention away   
from Ranma and focus on Trunks, who had a thick blue aura surrounding him.   
He moved in the opposite direction of his uncle, using his cold ki to react   
against the hot ki swirling around the drones. "Very inventive," Genma   
muttered to himself as he watched Ranma spiral outwards and Trunks   
inwards. And when Trunks reached the center of the spiral, and Ranma the   
outside, the purple-haired male called out the attack name as he swung his   
fist to mix the ki: "Double destiny helix!" 

A deafening explosion made Genma cover his ears and he watched   
with a fascination that bordered on evil glee as the tornado of swirling ki   
shot the Hachi up into the air, along with much of the surrounding area. 

"Big Bang Attack!!" 

Genma watched the two males send their ki up into the swirling mass,   
and another explosion rocked the area, and he had to turn away from the   
window as it shattered right in front of him. When everything settled down,   
he turned back around to see the two young males looking around for   
surviving drones. Both were covered in that same thick blue substance that   
had literally drenched the area. 

He picked his way through the rubble, jumping over large chunks of   
debris as they fell back to the ground. "Quite a...destructive...attack, boys." 

"Yeah, that's the only major disadvantage to it," Ranma commented,   
wiping the blood from his face. "That and it's incredibly messy." 

"That's an understatement," Trunks drawled, as he spit out a wad of   
blue phlegm. "You weren't in the middle of it all." 

He grinned. "I know. Come on, let's take a look around and see if   
we've missed anything." 

*********__**

**_ ~Bronx Zoo~_**

"Oh, why did they have to go here?" Tobuma half whined-half   
grumbled out loud as the three males ran through the gates, trying to avoid   
the masses of people as they ran in the opposite direction, tryong to escape   
the drones that had beaten them there. 

Gohan and Soun stared at each other in confusion, wondering why the   
pigtailed male was complaining about the attack site. Gohan decided to voice   
their thoughts. "What's wrong, Tobuma-san?" 

"Nothing, Gohan," Tobuma shook his head. "It's just that we're   
gonna have a lot more to deal with than just the humans. HA!" With a loud   
yell, he launched a large ball of ki into the elephant area, where two drones   
were attempting to assimilate the helpless pachyderms. The ki hit the   
animals, sending them to ashes, and Tobuma jumped in the pit with sword   
flying, slicing off arms and antennae of the hapless Hachi. 

Soun watched with wide eyes. "Animals, too? The Hachi can   
assimilate the animals, as well?" He jumped into the pit, sword raised and   
with a wide swing, beheaded one drone and watched Tobuma do the same to   
the other. 

"Hai, Ojiisan, the nanoprobes are just as effective on animal DNA as   
human DNA. They prefer the humanoids, since intelligence is a factor, but   
nothing is immune to their raids." He jumped out of the elephant area and   
ran down the large cobblestone pathway to the giraffes, where three Hachi   
drones were placing discs onto the long-necked animals. "Gohan, Ojiisan,   
keep going and I'll catch up with you." The two nodded and kept going down   
the walkway, while Tobuma leaped over the fencing, his battle-cry making   
the Hachi turn to see the tri-colored saiya-jiin chop their heads off in two   
slashes of his sword. 

The young boy and the older man kept running until they came to a   
large circular building with screaming people running out of the doors. "You   
suppose there are some in there?" Gohan asked somberly. 

Soun nodded. "More than likely, young man, or someone released the   
scary gophers." He pointed to the sign that identified the building as the   
small mammals exhibit. "Come on, Gohan, let's go see what's going on." He   
nodded and they both went inside. 

When they crossed the threshold, they were shocked to discover   
that there was nothing wrong--or at least they couldn't find anything out of   
the ordinary. The large open area was empty, except for some trash that   
spilled out of a knocked-over garbage can. There were no humans, animals,   
or drones in sight. 

The pair of males walked slowly around the room, taking in all the   
details. Even the animals in the glass walls seemed to have disappeared--the   
only creatures they saw were some small tan rat-like creatures tunnelling in   
a large pile of sand in their exhibit. They seemed fairly unfazed to any   
activity outside the thick glass wall. 

"If there's nothing going on, why was everyone running out of the   
building?" Gohan asked out loud. He righted the garbage can and pushed it   
against the wall. 

"I don't know, son," Soun walked up to a wall with two doors, one   
partially open, and the other closed. He pulled the open one wider and   
peered around the edge. The only thing in the room was cleaning supplies.   
He closed it and moved to the other one. There was no handle on the double   
door, but there was a button alongside. Pushing on the door revealed they   
were shut magnetically, so he pressed the red button. A soft 'click' was   
heard, and the door swung open to the inside. "Gohan," he nodded his head   
to the lit passageway, "in here." A short walk down the corridor revealed   
another well-lit room filled with shelves. 

The pair walked around the room taking note of all the different   
animal names. "This must be where they feed them," Gohan observed,   
pointing out the refridgerator filled with vegetables. He grabbed a carrot   
and started munching on it loudly. Soun glanced at him and the young   
saiya-jiin smiled sheepishly. "Gomen...it's been a bit since lunch." 

Soun just shook his head and made his way back to the door they   
entered from. "There's nothing happening here. We better get going." The   
young saiya-jiin nodded in agreement, and followed the elder male out of the   
room. But as they passed a large shelving unit, they heard a scratching from   
inside. "What's that noise?" he asked. Gohan shook his head. "Well, let's   
take a look." He reached out, turned the handle, and to their surprise, two   
men tumbled out. 

Soun reached down and helped the trembling men to their feet. "Are   
you okay?" he asked in English. 

The man he was holding onto lifted his head and tears immediately   
started to pour from his eyes. "Thank you so much mister! Those bee   
things were in here and they got Bobby!" He threw his arms around Soun   
and held on with all his might. "They got Bobby and we hid and we heard her   
screaming and screaming and screaming..." He finally couldn't speak any   
more, his crying too loud and harsh for words. 

Gohan helped the other man stand up, and the dark-skinned male   
shakily waved his hands away. "I'm good, man, good. Just some wobbly legs   
from bein' stuffed in that locker with Bitsy there." 

"Are you going to be okay?" Soun asked 'Bitsy' after his crying   
toned down to a few sniffles. 

Bitsy nodded his head. "Yeah, I guess. How did you know we were in   
there?" 

"We didn't," Gohan shook his head. "We saw everyone running out of   
the main exhibit hall, and we thought the Hachi were attacking." 

"Hachi? Ya mean those damn bugs, right?" Gohan nodded. "Name's   
Dobber. Yeah, they were here, all right, but I don't think that's what   
scairt the people away." Dobber pointed to an open cage. "What was in   
there was Big Bubba. He's a twenty foot pit viper that got away when those   
damn bugs came in. We were feedin' him, since one of his tooths has an   
infection, he has to be fed specially." He nodded to the door. "More than   
likely he 'scaped during the happenin's." 

Gohan and Soun blinked at each other for a few seconds. "Uh...okay,   
sir," Gohan spoke slowly. "The bugs...the Hachi are still around, so make   
sure you stay hidden. Seal yourselves up in here and you should be okay."   
He looked up to Soun, who nodded in agreement. 

"Yeah, okay, thanks, man, for lettin' us out of that locker," Dobber   
stuck his hand out to Soun, who shook it slowly. "There's no latch on the   
inside, so we woulda been stuck in there for a long time." 

"No problem, Mr. Dobber, we were glad to help." Soun bowed slightly.   
"Come on, Gohan, we better get going, Tobuma is probably looking for us."   
He called over his shoulder as they jogged out of the room. "Make sure you   
stay hidden." 

"Sure thing, mister!" Dobber called back and closed the door behind   
them. "Nice guys, those two. 'Specially that big-ass sword the man was   
carrying." 

"Wonder what he was going to do with it?" Bitsy mused as he wiped his   
forehead with a red cloth. "The cops usually don't like people walking   
around with such dangerous weapons." 

"Don't know," Dobber shook his head. "Can't get arrested for havin'   
a concealed weapon, though!" The two men chuckled and started to clean up   
the mess made in the room. 

********__**

**_ ~~U.N. Building~~_**

Akane stepped away from the microphones as Bulma walked into the   
room. The reporters immediately started a barrage of questions at both   
females. 

Bulma stepped up to the stand and waved her hands. "Quiet, please!"   
They soon settled down. "I'll answer a couple of your questions. Please, do   
think before you speak." Immediately several hands went up, and she   
pointed to a grey-haired man. 

"Ms. Briefs, can you elaborate to what is actually going on right now?   
Ms. Saotome," he gave a questioning glance to Akane and she nodded, "Ms.   
Saotome said there are Hachi attacking New York City." 

"Well, she's right. The Hachi are at the moment attacking New York,   
along with numerous other sites around the world. The warriors that were   
present at the summit meeting are right now trying to protect the citizens   
of New York." She pointed to another man. "Yes?" 

"Joose Tellone. Ms. Briefs, can you tell us about the aliens?" 

"The Hachi? They were well defined within the..." 

"Actually, not them, Ms. Briefs," the man interrupted her. "I mean   
about the..." he glanced down at a notepad he held in his hand, "saiyans?" 

Bulma smirked and turned to Akane who smirked back. "Well, I could   
tell you a lot about the saiyans, Mr. Tellone, but I think Ms. Saotome here   
could tell you more, since she's one of the 'aliens' you want to know about." 

"What did you want to know, Mr. Tellone?" Akane smiled politely at   
the reporter. 

"You're one of the saiyans?" He blinked at Akane in surprise. She   
nodded, her smile remaining in place. "I'm sorry for not recognizing you   
sooner. I was not present inside the council room." 

Akane shook her head. "That's okay. I understand. What did you   
want to know, Mr. Tellone?" 

"When did you arrive on Earth?" 

"My mate and I arrived on Earth about 16 years ago. We were four   
years old, but the earthlings that found and raised us thought we were two.   
We weren't meant to land here on Earth, but the ship we arrived in was   
damaged, and somehow arrived here. For the last sixteen years, we thought   
we were human, and were raised in that manner. The arrival of the Hachi   
heralded the reawakening of our heritage." 

A woman raised her hand. "Susie Felle. Is it true that the China   
ambassadors are saiyans as well?" 

Akane nodded her head. "Yes, it's true. They have been here for a   
lot longer than any of the others. Their parents crashed here over a   
hundred years ago, and they were born on Earth. We didn't know of their   
existence until today." 

"Ms. Briefs, you said that Mr. Briefs was related to you." Bulma   
nodded. "What is the connection?" 

"Trunks is my son from the future." 

"So it is true that he and the other man are from the future? That   
they traveled back in time?" 

"Yes, it's true. It's also true that the Hachi have taken complete   
control of their time. They were the only ones left that were not dead, or   
assimilated into drones. I can't thank the gods enough for sending him and   
Tobuma back to help give us a chance at a better life." 

"He is one of the saiyan warriors, is he not?" 

"Yes he is." She frowned out into the crowd of media personalities.   
"The answer to the question you're trying to allude to is yes, my husband is   
saiyan. He is also Ms. Saotome's brother, and the prince of their race." She   
looked around. "The saiyans are not here to conquer Earth and rule it.   
What they are here to do is live. Their homeworld has been destroyed and   
they have found Earth to be an enjoyable place to reside. I know there   
are some others that have a distinct dislike for others that are not of his   
blood, but I can tell you one thing: The saiyans are not the first alien   
species to arrive on Earth. There are a few races that are considered   
indigenous to this soil. Both the Henka and the Besshu are not native to   
Earth, but since they are so small in numbers, and aren't in the public   
limelight very often they are not thought of in such a way. They don't   
wish to be singled out because of their alien status." 

She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "I'm sorry for spouting on   
such matters. Sometimes things just need to be said. I think we've answered   
enough of your questions, everyone. Please remain inside until an 'all-clear'   
signal is given. The doors are sealed, so you won't be able to go outside."   
She nodded to Akane and they left the room. President Shamar remained   
behind to answer any other questions the reporters had. 

Bulma growled under her breath as they walked along the empty   
hallways. "Sometimes, I wish I could take the entire media system and send   
a gigantic ki blast at it. They get me so worked up!" 

Akane smiled apologetically at her sister in law. "It's okay,   
Bulma-chan, it's what they get paid to do, ne? At some point we would've   
had to talk to them anyway, so might as well get it taken care of. I just   
hope that they don't get too nosy and start prying into our lives." 

"Who knows. Depends on if it's a slow news week or not. Although,   
with the Hachi attacks, it seems like that's all they would talk about. Today   
we've given them plenty to discuss, dissect and rearrange into their own   
little moldings for months of headlines." 

They re-entered the large chambers to find everyone silently   
watching the large screen, which was showing the footage in Times Square.   
They sat down next to the rest of their group. "What's going on? Is that   
Vejiita and Goku?" Bulma asked, trying to decipher the cock-eyed golden   
blurs on the screen. 

ChiChi nodded, tearing her dark gaze from the destruction. "Hai.   
Goku-saa and Vejiita are the only two in Times Square. The footage is from   
a network camera that was left on when the operator and the reporter were   
turned into drones. Where were you two?" 

"We held a mini-press conference on the attacking Hachi and general   
information on the saiya-jiin." Bulma winced when splatters of blue blood hit   
the camera lens. "How long have you been watching this?" 

"About five minutes," Nabiki answered her. "I think the camera is   
lying on a garbage can. One of the reporters announced the footage and   
they patched it in." 

Several loud screeching shrieks from the dying drones made them   
wince at the harsh sounds. A head flew past the camera and splashed more   
blood onto the lens. "They are fairly...violent...in their tactics, aren't they?"   
Nodoka grimaced at the scene. 

"Well, they have to be, Obasan," Akane said quietly, her eyes   
following the blurred movements of the two males on the screen. "The   
drones aren't there to spar." 

The sounds of ki blasts stopped, and everyone was silent as they   
heard Goku and Vejiita talk to each other, which meant most everyone in the   
Council chambers was not able to understand, since they went back to   
talking in Japanese. 

"I think we're finished here, Vejiita. I don't see any other drones   
around." 

"Make a final sweep, and then we'll split up. I can sense Serori and   
Trunks in one area of this city, and Tobuma and your brat in another." 

"Hai. I'll go find Tobuma and Gohan." They heard a grunt, which   
meant Vejiita agreed and then a bright flash of yellow filled the screen. 

"Well, that means they've taken off." Bulma stood up. "Can someone   
turn off the video feed? The battle is over. Thank you." She sat back   
down and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I'm going to try and see if I can   
talk to Vejiita." She closed her eyes and concentrated on the dark essence   
in the back of her mind, mentally wrapping her arms around it and   
internalizing the thick sensation of the male she knew as her mate. 

*** 

Vejiita was flying low to the ground, his black gaze scanning the area   
for any remaining drones, when he felt corner of his mind dedicated to his   
blue-haired mate come alive. He grunted out loud and internally turned his   
focus to the light. _*What do you want now, Onna?*_

The blue flamne flickered and spread throughout his mind, covering   
the darkness with warmth. _*Who said I wanted anything? Having fun in_   
_Times Square?*___

_ *Then what the hell are you bothering me about? What's Times_   
_Square?*___

_ *Times Square is the name of the area where you and Goku are._   
_There should be a very large screen on a building. Your fight with the Hachi_   
_was broadcast into the Council chambers by a camera that was left on when_   
_the operator was assimilated, so we saw the massacre.*___

_ *Hn. Is there something in particular you need from me, Onna? Or_   
_is this a social call?*_

His tone was turning impatient, and Bulma knew when to cut to the   
point. _*I just wanted to know how things were going. Did you have any_   
_problems? Were there many Hachi there?*___

_ *There were around a hundred, half had discs and the other half was_   
_using their paralysis beams to hold everyone in place. Kakarotto and I had_   
_no problems dealing them a swift demise.*_

Bulma frowned visibly, and her emotions sent through their link was   
tinged with concern. _*They've never send out that many in one raid before._   
_And if there are that many in the other areas of the city, that would be_   
_over three hundred Hachi in New York alone, never mind the other raids.*___

_ *What other raids?*___

_ *When Serori came back to get Trunks and the rest of the senshi,_   
_Kami-sama communicated to us that there are nineteen other raids_   
_happening on Chikyuu. Kuririn, Piccolo and Kamesen'nin were trying to stop_   
_one, but that's only one out of nineteen. Who knows how efficient they will_   
_be. I have a bad feeling Chikyuu is not going to fare well today, despite of_   
_our efforts here in the Council.*_ She sighed mentally and Vejiita could feel   
her starting to withdraw from the connection. _*Just be careful, ne,_   
_Vejiita?*___

_ *Your concern is misplaced, Onna. It is not needed.* _ He radiated   
waves of confidence. 

_ *Just make sure that cocky attitude doesn't get you killed.* _ He felt   
a warm flash encompass him and she was gone. 

*******   
**__**

**_ ~~Hachi operations base, Underground~~_**

Daisy kept a steady eye on the computer screen that monitored the progress   
of the swarming parties. "Computer, show gathering rates." A list scrolled   
down the screen, and he nodded as he noted each number growing larger and   
larger. "Group six seems to be having the largest success rate," he   
murmured to himself as more numbers flashed across the screen. "Thirteen   
is low, but I sent a gathering party to that area in the last run." 

A flashing line of data caught his eye and he directed his attention to   
it. A frown thinned out the fine lines of his lips as he read the status of   
groups 17 and 18. "Why are their numbers decreasing? Every other group   
is increasing dramatically. What could..." he let out a breath of air as the   
one thing that marred his progress so far. "Those damn saiya-jiin. But they   
aren't anywhere near their generalized location..." He let out a curse as the   
numbers kept steadily decreasing. "Damn it! They have been a thorn in my   
side this entire time. It's time I've done something about them." He   
pressed a few buttons that would link him up to the Tokemonu. After typing   
in a message, he shut down his systems and left, but not without giving a few   
of his crew members instructions to wait for an answer to his request, and   
them immediately let him know of the outcome. 

*****__**

**_ ~~Tokemonu, main bridge~~_**

Rose twitched his antennae in boredom as he watched the main   
screen. They were at a standstill because the power to the engines needed   
to be taken offline to complete the repairs needed for full capacity. He was   
the only one on the bridge, since everyone else was reassigned to different   
tasks for the duration of their suspension around one of the many large,   
grey-colored satellites that orbited a large planet with constant electrical   
storms. 

But his mood soon changed when he received the forwarded message   
from the on member of the crew on location of the new hive; He   
immediately sat up and hit a button. "Captain Iris, please report to the   
bridge." 

He immediately received a response. "I'm on my way, Rose." 

A few minutes later, the doors opened and Iris walked briskly into   
the room. The purple patch of fur matched the one on his commanding   
officer. "What is it, Rose? Are the engines ready to be brought on-line?" 

"That's not why I called you up here, sir. Take a look at this." He   
brought up the text message he just received from Earth. "It's from   
Daisy." 

**The Saiya-jiin are getting out of hand. They just took out two of   
my swarming parties effortlessly. I am requesting major backup. Please   
come immediately.** 

Iris frown grew larger and deeper as he read the urgent message.   
He leaned across a control panel and pressed a button. "Violet, what is the   
status of the engines?" 

"They are just about finished, Captain. We will be able to initialize   
main power in a couple hours." 

"Let me know immediately when they are ready. We need to be   
underway as soon as possible." 

"Yes, Captain." 

Iris glanced at Rose. "When the engines are back online, our   
estimated arrival time will be three days. Send a response to Daisy that   
we're on our way." 

"Right, Captain." 

********__

_And that marks the end of part two. Iris and the crew of the Tokemonu are on their way...withh Chikyuu be ready for them? Next time, we take a peek at the skills of the Chinese Saiya-jiin, and what is that wandering around at JFK International?? Is it... *evil grin*___

_One thing I wanted to mentio about the Hachi: I refer to them in the male state, if you haven't noticed. They don't have a gender, but it's easier to think of them in the male form. Sort of like Piccolo--he's asexual, but everyone thinks of him as male. It's just an easier way of referencing them--you can only call them 'it' so many times. ^_^;;;_****

**Read and review, please! Gie-chan**


	34. A Meeting of Flesh: Part One

**A Tail To Remember**   
**By Gie: (phowah@cs.com)**   


_I won't speak too long, for I know how long and patiently (some not so patient ^_^;;) you have been waiting for this. I won't delay it any longer. Just to note--it's gonna get quite...bloody/gory, so if you are squeamish in that respect, I'm sorry._

_Another warning: well, if I tell you, I'd spoil it. Let's just say it's going to make an impact on a few characters. As always, let me know what you think._

_Gie-chan_   
  


**A Tail To Remember**   
**Chapter Thirty Three: A Meeting of Flesh, Part One**   
***************   


**_~~JFK International Airport~~_**

The loud hustle and bustle of the busy airport terminal was   
interrupted by a keening cry from a bushy-haired male. "Doko wa   
okorose ne dousite ka?" 

"What did he just say, Daddy? Was it Tonkinese?" 

"I don't know, Shane. Tonkinese is a type of cat, not language.   
Now, don't stare at the tourist." 

People automatically swerved around the strange bandanna-clad   
young man that alternately yelled out loud and mumbled a foreign   
language under his breath. 

"Was it a swears?" 

"I don't know, Shane. Now stop gawking or we'll be late for our   
flight." 

But Ryouga was in his own world, like normal, talking to himself as   
he paced around in a circle. 'Why is it that I always do this to myself?   
All I wanted to do was go for a little flight, to clear my thoughts.' He   
snorted to himself, and startled a young woman and a girl, who happened   
to be walking by at the moment. 'That was the first mistake, flying off   
by myself. When Ranma and Kuririn-san taught me the technique, I was   
always within their eyesight. I should have gone downstairs with Akane   
when I had the chance.' He sighed at the remembered encounter on the   
roof. 'Akane...she has such a forgiving heart....I don't deserve her   
kindness.' 

He sighed again and stopped his circular pacing cycle and looked   
around, taking note of the large pictures everywhere. "By the looks of   
the signs, I must be in an airport. But I don't remember the UN building   
being next to an airport. Hopefully, I'm still in New York! Maybe I   
better ask someone for directions." 

Ryouga started to walk around, stopping to ask security guards   
how to get to the UN building. But since Ryouga was speaking in   
Japanese, he wasn't understood. One guard, after the fifth time being   
stopped by the Lost Boy, finally just pointed behind him and shouted   
exasperatedly, "Get lost, bub!" and ran away screaming about crazy   
tourists. 

Ryouga stared in the direction the guard pointed. At the end of   
the hallway was a set of large grey double doors. "That must be the   
exit! I'm on my way, Akane!" He charged down the hall, ignoring the   
loud klaxons that sounded when he barreled his way through them. 

He ran through the large parking lot, not taking note the scenery   
at first. Or what he thought was a parking lot. Something fuzzed in his   
mind, and he stopped, looking around. "What is this..." A dark shadow   
fell over him and he looked up to see the large nose of a plane, mere feet   
over his head. He turned to the side and stared wide-eyed as a set of   
landing gear wheels as tall as he rolled by him. "I guess I'm still at the   
airport," he chuckled weakly. He looked around again, trying to figure   
out which way to go. "The guard said to go this way; maybe it's on the   
other side of the tarmac?" Looking around carefully for more aircraft,   
he made his way across the concrete fields and when he spotted a large   
building, his hopes soared. "I bet that's it!" Quickly, he ran toward the   
building and entered through the closest door he could find. 

"Is this the UN Building?" he yelled out loud. 

But no one answered him. Or to the extent he needed. They   
were busy running around, screaming their heads off. He deduced that   
he was not where he wanted to be. A man ran into him, and as he helped   
the scared human up. "What's going on?" 

"What are you standing around for, man? Those bees are   
attacking! You gotta go and hide, like that cute alien chick said on TV!"   
He yanked his arm out of Ryouga's slack grip and resumed sprinting down   
the hallway. 

"What is going on?" he repeated to himself, not understanding   
the babble the man said. He worked his way down the streaming,   
screaming horde, people bouncing off his sturdy frame in their frantic   
attempt to escape their deaths. He turned a corner, and stopped in   
surprise. A cluster of five drones were in the process of mutating a   
clutch of people. "What..." 

Someone ran by him, startling him out of his trance. "Are these   
the Hachi? Gohan and Kuririn-san described them, but I never really   
saw what they looked like." He stepped forward a few paces, and at the   
same time reached up to his forehead. "Hey! Hey! Leave those people   
alone!" Ryouga tossed a few of the spotted ki-infused cloths at the   
drones, cutting a set of glowing antennae on one drone, and slicing a wing   
to pieces on another. 

The drones screeched and immediately turned in their   
attacker's direction. The two injured drones broke away from their   
original task, emitting a high-pitched noise as they advanced on him. 

The human boy swallowed, falling into a offensive stance. "Come   
and get me, ya dirty bugs!" He quickly attacked, and after a brief   
struggle, Ryouga finished his original attack. He turned around, only to   
discover a dozen more. "Where'd you all come from?" he wondered out   
loud, but decided not to bother waiting for an answer, instead attacking   
head on with his hands aglow with ki. "Hyahh!" The ki was launched in   
short bursts, forming small but deadly balls. He still was not   
comfortable using ki in such a manner, his training from the ShiShi   
Hokodan overruling much of the practice with his new friends Kuririn and   
Gohan. 

Although soon he had to dodge them, since they were returned   
with equal power and force. "Kuso...I forgot about that part." He   
crossed his arms in front of his face to block the several he wasn't able   
to avoid. 

He attempted to bring his arms down into another attack pattern,   
but realized he was frozen in place. "I can't move! What in the world..."   
He peered through his arms, and realized a green light surrounded him.   
"Chikuso..." With a sunken feeling in his chest, Ryouga watched a striped   
drone advance toward him, removing a silver disc from a forearm. 

The young man closed his eyes, not wanting to see the creature   
attach it to his chest. 'I suppose it was a good life...it had its moments.   
Although Ranma seemed to be in the center of the most memorable ones.   
And Akane...' he sighed and quietly awaited his fate, letting the   
memories warm his last moments on Chikyuu. 

The sound of discharging ki made him open his eyes. "Nani?" His   
eyes darted back and forth, trying to see what, or who had the ability to   
use ki, since he did remember that the drones didn't. His chocolate orbs   
settled on a large, dark-haired man, bent over several motionless drones   
on the ground. 

"You know, you're not paralyzed any more. Please, go and hide. I   
don't know how many more drones are lingering around." 

"When...how did you..." Ryouga blushed at his inability to express   
himself, and his awkward position, quickly bringing down his arms. He   
stepped closer to the stranger, curious. "Hey, how did you do that?" 

The large man turned his head, pushing the thick black spikes   
that framed his face out of the way. "The same way you took down the   
other ones, sir." He stood up and held out his hand. "My name is Nanka." 

"Ryouga Hibiki. You...you know I killed some of the drones?" He   
shook the large, calloused hand, his eyes riveted on the other that held a   
long, thick sword that was coated in blue. 

"Well, I figured it was you, since you're the only human around   
with a high enough level of ki to accomplish such an act." Nanka   
shrugged and wiped the long blade on his pant leg to clean it. "You just   
were unlucky enough to get caught in a paralysis beam." 

"Thank you, Nanka. I thought I was going to become a drone."   
The tall man just nodded in reply. "Can I ask you a question?" 

Nanka nodded, glancing at the bandanna-clad man. "Sure, what is   
it?" He turned his attention back to his sword, and then resheathed it in   
the scabbard resting on his back. 

Ryouga looked around, his hand moving to the back of his neck.   
"Do you know how to get to the UN building? I was supposed to be there   
for a big meeting, but I got lost." He weakly chuckled, shrugging at the   
look on his rescuer's face. "I tend to do that." 

"Are you part of the summit meeting on the Hachi?" Nanka   
glanced at the young man, checking for any familar signs of him being   
saiya-jiin. Other than the thick build and messy hair, there were no   
other signs of alien genes. 

"Well, sorta, I guess. My friends are going to be speaking, but I   
had helped Ranma and Goku devise the defense plans that are supposed   
to be presented." 

Nanka blinked in surprise. "Are you talking about Son Goku?"   
Ryouga nodded. "Well, my brothers and I are also part of the Hachi   
summit." He peered closer at the young male in front of him. "Are you   
saiya-jiin?" 

Ryouga's eyes brightened. "So then you can take me there?"   
Then his happy expression drooped in disappointment as he realized the   
situation. "But if you're here, then that means it's over with." His   
demeanor fell even more at the implications. "And they're going to go   
back without me, and I'll be stuck here!" 

"Well, it is over, since the Hachi attack on New York interrupted   
it fairly well." Nanka smiled and clapped a hand on the depressed   
human's shoulder. "But don't fret, young warrior. Come with me, and   
I'll bring you back to your friends." Ryouga nodded, and the pair left. 

After wandering down a few hallways, and going through a few   
doors, the pair came upon another dark-haired man, although this one as   
attacking a vending machine. "Yo, Tamana, look what I found! Can I keep   
him?" 

The male, now identified as Tamana, glanced behind him then   
turned his attention back to the candy machine, grabbing a handful of   
various bagged items. He turned back around, tossing half of them to   
Nanka, he gave Ryouga a squint. "Eh, he looks a little scrawny. Better   
toss him back." 

Ryouga blinked a few times. "Nani?" 

"Don't worry, Ryouga, he was just pulling your leg," Nanka smiled   
and offered one of the treats in his hand; Ryouga declined. "This is my   
brother, Tamana. This is Ryouga, a friend of Son Goku's party." 

"Really? That's a coincidence, ne?" Tamana smiled at the   
confused young man. "So do you know the Prince and Princess, as well?" 

"Prince? Princess?" Ryouga was still confused over the earlier   
comment. 

"Vejiita and Seiika," Nanka explained. 

Ryouga lit up at the mention of the latter name. "Oh, them. I   
know Seiika as Akane Saotome. Her husband, Ranma, is my best rival.   
Or, at least he was before he remembered he was an alien." 

"Ranma? Ah, you mean Serori," Tamana nodded his head, the row   
of spikes going down the back of his skull bouncing in synch with his head   
movement. He turned to his brother. "Have you seen Yuukari lately?" 

The three males continued on, their eyes and ears alert for any   
sign of Hachi activity. "Not for awhile." Nanka closed his eyes and sent   
out his senses, and after a moment, pointed in a direction. "Let's go this   
way." 

The normally frenetic activity in the large hallways was an   
unwelcome change; the corridors were almost ghost-like in their   
stillness. A few people peeked out of doors when they heard voices, but   
the three quickly warned them to remain hidden for awhile longer.   
Ryouga made sure he kept the burly males in eyesight, afraid of losing   
his ticket back to Akane and the others. After a few moments of not   
seeing any other signs of life, he cleared his throat. "Um, are they all   
gone?" 

Tamana shook his head. "Not likely. This area of the airport   
normally isn't very crowded, since the airlines housed here are private   
lines." They turned a corner and were greeted with the sight of blue,   
splattered all over the walls as if a large abstract mural was just   
painted. The remains of three drones were piled into a corner. "Looks   
like Yuukari went this way." He kicked at a severed limb, and it made a   
solid 'thump' as it hit the wall. "Let's get going and see if we can catch   
some action ahead." 

After going through a few more doors at a quicker pace, Ryouga   
noted the devastation was getting heavier, and the piles of dismembered   
drones got larger. The familiar screeching sound he heard earlier hit   
their ears; the pair of saiya-jiin wincing slightly. "Sounds like we're   
hitting the jackpot," Nanka said grimly as he unsheathed the sword on   
his back. He turned to Ryouga, "Do you have a blade?" 

The younger male shook his head. "Um...no." His eyes lit up and   
he scrambled to undo the belt around his waist. "But I can use this as   
one." Concentrating, he snapped the leather strap, infusing his ki to   
make it ramrod straight. 

The pair of saiya-jiin glanced at each other and shrugged in   
unison. "Whatever works, I guess. We'll go first; make sure to watch   
out for those paralysis beams." Tamana stepped forward, and the doors   
slid open. 

******* 

_~~At the UN Building~~_

Akane stared off into space, one hand resting on the swell of her   
stomach and the other supporting her chin. She kept track of the   
battles through her senses, keeping careful watch on the outside   
activity. She could tell Ranma and Trunks were knee-deep in drone   
activity, and Goku had just arrived at the location of her father and   
Gohan. "Goku just met up with Gohan and Dad," she commented out loud. 

ChiChi sighed and wiped a hand across her eyes. "Well, that's   
good news. Goku will watch over my Gohan." 

"Where's Vejiita?" Bulma asked. "He's not talking to me   
anymore." 

She closed her eyes and focused on her twin. "He's just about at   
Ranma and Trunks' location." She felt a warm flicker as her twin   
acknowledged her, and she reopened her eyes with a small smile. "He's   
being a brat, like normal." 

President Shamar was sitting with them, and he called attention   
to himself. "How do you know that?" 

"We have the ability to track high-powered beings, Mr.   
President," Akane explained, smiling at the blond-haired man. 

"Is that a Saiyan trait?" 

"No, it's not," she shook her head. "You could actually call it a   
highly-developed seventh sense." 

"But a Saiyan trait is being able to talk telepathically with your   
mate," Bulma added, "or with others you are close to." Akane nodded in   
agreement. 

"Interesting," Shamar commented, "Can you tell how long it will be   
before I am able to give an all-clear signal?" 

"I don't know," Akane said, "but it's best to wait until the   
warriors arrive back. Then we'll know for sure." 

A spike of familiar energy caught her attention and she swiveled   
her head around, her features furrowed in concentration. "Who is   
that..." She turned to Ninjin, who was talking quietly with Nodoka and   
Kasumi. "Ninjin, can I ask you something?" 

The ponytailed saiya-jiin looked up and nodded. "Of course,   
Princess. What is it you need?" 

She ignored Nabiki's snicker. "Your brothers are in that   
direction, correct?" She pointed to a corner of the large room,   
indicating the airport. 

Ninjin turned to the side she pointed, and after a minute, he   
nodded with a thoughtful gaze. "Yes, they are that way. But I don't   
recognize the other with them. It's a human male, with a fairly powerful   
ki. I don't recognize the signature." 

"That's what I was going to ask," she sighed. 

"Is it Kuririn or Piccolo?" Bulma suggested. 

She shook her head. "No, they're still in another part of the   
world. Feels like Africa somewhere. But I've felt it before, I just can't   
remember who it is." She frowned, trying to rack her memory to   
identify the familiar feeling. 

"If it helps, my Lady, the signature seems to be very   
masculine--but laced with a heaviness that is not normal." 

"Heaviness?" ChiChi questioned. "How can ki be heavy? The only   
thing I can think of in such a way would be through a dark emotion. Not   
evil--sadness, or depression, maybe." 

"That's it!" Akane gasped, standing up. "Heavy ki! I only know of   
one person who relies on depression to build ki strength." 

Nabiki smirked. "So do I. It's got to be Ryouga." 

She nodded in agreement, her spirit lighter than before. "I   
wondered where he wandered off to! I was worried about him." Her   
smile dimmed slightly and sat back down. "But he was taught how to   
draw from other sources too, besides the heavy depression for his   
ShiShi Hokodan..." 

"You were worried about him? I thought you wanted to rip out his   
spleen and feed it to him personally." Nabiki rolled her eyes at Kasumi's   
gasp. "Or something like that. Did you two make nice-nice?" She   
narrowed her eyes at the familiar term. 

"Un," she started to smile, but it quickly went away in favor of   
the frown that began to form when her attention returned to the varied   
battles going on around the large city. 

Bulma noticed her inattention and became concerned, getting   
ChiChi's attention as well. "What's wrong, Seiika?" When she didn't   
answer, Bulma poked her in the arm. "Seiika? What's going on?" 

"Nani?" she said distractedly, still keeping her gaze directed   
outward. 

Kasumi put a gentle hand on her sister's shoulder. "Akane, is   
there something wrong with Ranma or the warriors?" 

Akane finally focused on Kasumi, her eyebrows furrowed in   
intense concentration. "Ranma's group is being heavily attacked by   
drones." 

"Trunks..." Bulma whispered, her hand immediately going to the   
prominent bulge of her unborn child. "Has Vejiita reached them yet?" 

Akane stood up and walked a bit away from the group, one of her   
hands clutching at her blouse. "Ranma..." 

**_*****_**

**_~~Staten Island~~_**

"Come on! Over here!" Trunks yelled for the pair of Saotome as   
they ran through the empty streets in search of more drones. "There's   
a cluster of thirty drones!" He pulled out Te'ketii with one hand and the   
other hand launched an explosive barrage of tiny ki blasts into the fray. 

Ranma followed immediately behind him, his own ki blade growing   
mightily. "Stay behind us, Oyaji, and help out the remaining humans." He   
didn't wait for an answer from Genma, but instead sliced off the glowing   
antennae of the closest drone, taking off the head with another swipe. 

Genma stood in relative safety, hiding underneath the shadowy   
awning of a bakery, the long sword Akane gave him loosely held in right   
hand as he watched his son and friend make sushi out of the attacking   
drones. His eyes darted from side to side, trying to keep up with the   
frantic movements of the golden-haired warriors; the only real indicator   
of victory being won was the splattering of cerulean blood and the   
randomly flying parts of dismembered drones. 

He ducked the splatter of sticky fluid when a severed limb flew   
through the air, hitting the glass pane of the storefront. He scanned   
the area, looking for any humans in need of help, but the only ones he   
saw were peeking out from behind protective glass. A wild gesture   
caught his attention--a woman was jumping up and down, pointing   
frantically to an overturned popcorn cart. He had seen it earlier and   
took no real note of it. But the woman's gestures made him look again,   
and this time he saw what she was so excited over. Underneath the   
cart, two small boys were huddled together in a small ball, flush up   
against the giant spoked wheel. 

Genma nodded to the woman in the window, acknowledging her   
plea. He checked the activity of the drones and the fighting saiya-jiin,   
and taking his opportunity, he dashed across the open street, diving   
under the protection of the large cart. 

The two boys opened their eyes when they felt Genma's meaty   
hands touch them. "The big bees took Daddy," one of the two boys   
whispered into Genma's ear as he gathered them close, holding them   
tight to his barreled chest. "Why did they take Daddy?" he sobbed   
into his ear, "I want my Daddy!" 

Genma felt his heart shatter as his white dress shirt slowly   
became soaked with the boy's tears. The other one was deathly silent,   
but Genma could feel the rapid heartbeat of the very frightened child   
against his arm. "Shush, little one, it will be all right," Genma spoke   
soothingly into the crying boy's soft hair, "Uncle Genma won't let   
anything harm you." Although the young child didn't understand the   
Japanese words, he understood the tone, and his sobs settled into soggy   
whimpers. 

He couldn't help but think of the training days with another small   
boy and the long hours he would hold the young Ranma in his lap, lying   
awake into the wee hours of the morning, dreaming of the blindingly   
bright future filled with untold expectations for the future of the Art   
that he taught to him. 

Genma blinked out of his daydream when a scream pierced his   
thoughts and eardrums. Mere feet from their hiding place a drone's   
head rolled to a stop. His sight was then distracted by the aquamarine   
gaze of the grown version of his daydream. "Watch out, Pops, or the   
Hachi might grant Vejiita-ouji's wish." 

He stared into the pupilless expression, laced with concern and   
worry, and Genma understood his dreams had finally come true. He   
smirked and handed one of the boys to him, and raised his massive bulk   
from the safety of the overturned cart. "You wish, boy. Then who would   
give you your wake-up spar?" 

Ranma grinned, dropping the glowing yellow and green look for the   
normal black and blue. "Ya know, I sorta miss getting thrown out of the   
window and into the koi pond every morning. But I also really like   
Akane's wake up calls, too." Genma rolled his eyes at the leer that   
flashed across the young male's face. 

"Those are good too," he admitted, nodding his head. "Good   
cardio-vascular workout." 

"You ain't kiddin'!" Ranma smiled and jerked his head. "Come on,   
Pops, let's go." The pair dashed across the street and ducked into the   
opening doorway where eager hands immediately grabbed the pair of   
young toddlers. 

"My babies!" the same woman that alerted Genma to their   
location now clutched the children tight in her arms, sobbing hysterically   
in relief. "My babies!" 

Ranma and Genma ducked back out into the street, not bothering   
to stick around for thanks. The devastation that surrounded them was   
now catastophic. The streets, sidewalks, and anything on them were   
literally painted in indigo. Limbs, torsos and other miscellaneous body   
parts littered the ground. 

Trunks was standing in the middle of the street, his blond hair   
almost as green as his eyes from the blood that covered him from head   
to tail. The other two were filthy, but not as bad as he. They came over   
to where he stood silently, his golden sword dripping blood next to his   
side. Ranma and Genma followed his gaze to see a small stuffed animal   
floating in a puddle of azure, the once beige fur now as blue as the   
summer sky. "She was the same age as Maiize-chan. Her hair was   
wrapped in a purple ribbon, her favorite color. She always liked playing   
with my hair..." he trailed off, turning his head to the side as he dropped   
out of super saiya-jin. His free hand moved up to run his fingers   
through his now lavender locks. 

The Saotome looked at each other, not knowing what to say to the   
depressed male. Ranma stepped forward, putting a gentle hand on his   
future nephew's shoulder. "Trunks..." 

He shrugged it off, shaking his head. "Gomen. It just brought   
back a lot of long-forgotten memories." He smiled a little, and quickly   
changed the subject. "Are we ready to move on?" 

"I think so," Ranma gave one last glance around, but then turned   
to the sky. "Wait a second, Vejiita-ouji's coming." The other two   
turned in the direction he was looking, and soon a white dot appeared in   
the distance. After a few minutes of waiting, the ouji slowly landed next   
to them, surveying the damage and destruction as he touched down.   
Ranma greeted him with a nod. "What's up?" 

"Not much it seems," he grunted, kicking away a limb near his   
feet. 

"Where's Goku-san?" Trunks asked as he cleaned Te'ketii with a   
cloth. 

Vejiita gave his future child a glance and then turned to the   
destruction once more. "As if I care. Are you done here?" He walked   
past Genma without even acknowledging his presence. Genma, though,   
made sure he kept several paces between he and the foreboding Prince   
at all times. 

"That's what we were just deciding," Ranma said as he looked   
around as well. "I think the locals can take care of themselves from now   
on. Although, I hope they have a lot of cleaning supplies." All four males   
smiled in some form at the quip. "So, how was Times Square?" 

Vejiita smile turned wicked, flashing his sharp canines. "Bloody." 

"Are we going to head back to the UN building?" Trunks inquired,   
satisfied with his cleaning job of Te'ketii, resheathed the golden blade   
in the casing on his back. He glanced around at the people just starting   
to emerge from the protected cover of the shops. "If we are, I'm going   
to tell the locals that the Hachi are gone." He didn't receive a definite   
answer, so he shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the cluster of   
citizens huddled together and started to talk quietly with them. 

Ranma continued talking to Vejiita. "Well, if we go back now, I   
can drop Oyaji off, and then we can continue doing flying patrols, that is,   
if you feel it's necessary." He gave the older male a sheepish look. 

Vejiita just grunted and turned to where Trunks was just starting   
to walk back to them. "Are you finished yabbering with the humans,   
brat?" Trunks flushed and nodded. "Then let's go. The sooner we get   
back, the better. The Onna is banging around in my head and she's   
giving me a headache." Trunks and Ranma both snickered. Vejiita   
growled under his breath and launched himself into the air, Trunks   
immediately following him. 

Ranma turned to Genma and and gave him a lopsided grin. "Okay,   
now no yellin' this time, Pops. My eardrums are too sensitive for your   
girly screams of terror." The older male rolled his eyes at the barb but   
kept them scrunched tight when he felt Ranma clutch him under the   
arms, the ground falling away from his feet, and the air pushing at his   
face. 

But all of a sudden, the wind was gone, and he opened his eyes to   
see why they stopped. What he saw made his stomach muscles clench   
and twist into knots. Both Trunks and Vejiita were mere paces in front   
of them, both glowing with bright auras. The reason they had halted in   
mid-flight was floating directly in front of them: 

A Swarm of at least a hundred drones hovered in the air, all   
neatly paced in rows, with one lone drone stationed in front of them, the   
first two sets of legs crossed over each other. The sun glinted off a   
metal bracelet the lone drone wore, and Genma squinted to keep the   
glare out of his eyes. Using the rapidly beating wings, it moved forward   
slowly in their direction. Then, it spoke. 

"You Saiya-jiin are arrogant creatures, are you not?" 

**_******_**

**_~~Various parts of NYC~~_**

With one claw he sorted though the remains piled up with a   
crater. Severed limbs littered the crater, giving the illusion of   
fully-formed drones buried alive. But the bloodied and decapitated   
striped torsos nullified the illusion. Along with the drenching blood that   
dyed everything deep blue. 

Daisy let out a noise of disgust. "These saiya-jiin are ruthless,   
disgusting animals! It seems like they have no morals whatsoever." A   
stray arm tumbled down the incline of the crater, landing at his feet. He   
stared at it for a few moments, then shook his head, the antennae on his   
head bouncing with the movement. "I am sorely tempted to plead with   
the Captain to abandon this planet, and move onto friendlier pastures."   
With a flutter of his wings, he rose from the carnage and into the air,   
where all he saw was more signs of drone demolition. 'But this planet is   
perfect for our needs. An extremely large population of low-energy   
beings; soil rich and ripe for production; atmosphere ideal for use. We   
will not have to seek a new world for several hundred years.' 

As he flew through the air, he kept his sight to the ground,   
searching for any sign of active drones. 'It would be perfect, save the   
saiya-jiin population. I swore the reports said there were no more   
saiya-jiin alive, especially this thick in concentration. And I can't believe   
Vejiita and Seiika are the cause for all of this destruction.' Another   
splatter of blue caught his attention and Daisy snorted in disgust once   
again, landing to see the extent of the extinction. The two spots he   
visited were too far apart, and the number of drones destroyed was too   
high for the pair of siblings to cause the damage. "There has to be   
more," he declared out loud. 

A flash of light out of the corner of his vision caught his   
attention, and quickly Daisy moved out of sight. He watched as the white   
spot became closer and he inhaled sharply, realizing the figure that just   
flew over him was the saiya-jiin prince himself, Vejiita. He watched as   
the male slowed down and landed just out of sight behind a building, and   
Daisy waited a moment before moving closer. As he peered around   
the corner of the building, he discovered that he was talking with three   
other males, two with swords strapped to their backs. The other black   
haired male had no sword, but Daisy did discover something else: a long   
brown tail flicking around his leg. Saiya-jiin. A quick glance to the other   
two noted another tail on the light-haired male, but the cloth-covered   
male was facing the wrong direction, so he couldn't tell if he had a tail as   
well. 'Although, saiya-jiin can survive just as well without one,' he   
amended his thoughts. 

Four saiya-jiin. 

Daisy backed away from the group and hitting a button on his   
wristband, he signaled to the drones standing duty on the ship to send   
two squads of armed squads that were still stationed deep underground   
to come to him. Fluttering his wings lightly, he rose into the air and   
awaited his attack force. Within five minutes, one hundred disc-wielding   
drones arrived at his location and stood in their squadron, ready for   
orders. It was time to take care of the saiya-jiin. 

And when they rounded the corner, Daisy let a content smirk curl   
at his lips as the three figures froze in the air. He glanced at the   
dark-haired male carrying the cloth-covered male for a minute, but then   
decided that it would work to his advantage. 

He advanced forward a bit and felt a satisfied warmth in his   
chest when the three flying saiya-jiin moved closer together, their   
bodies glowing with attacking energies. He inhaled and spoke out loud: 

"You Saiya-jiin are arrogant creatures, are you not?"   


*********

"Hachi," Trunks growled under his breath. "Filthy, disgusting   
drones!" 

"It seems that you are the arrogant one, drone," Vejiita called   
out, still in his attack position. "One hundred against four? They don't   
sound like favorable odds." 

"On their behalf," Ranma added quietly. Genma smirked. "Pops,   
I'm gonna switch you to my back, so I have my arms free, okay?" 

"Or you could put me down," he suggested, half listening to the   
verbal banter going on between Vejiita and the lead drone. "Did you know   
they could talk more than that high-pitched noise?" 

"Yeah, they can," Ranma responded, his gaze locked on the pair   
ahead of him. "Akane ran into one called 'Daisy' at the mall, and we   
discovered they are highly rational beings. They have conscience,   
thought patterns, and all that." He spared a glance down to the man he   
held by the arms. "And I'm not gonna put ya down, Pops. The Hachi can't   
mutate saiya-jiin--our DNA fights back. Yours doesn't. You'd be better   
protected on my back." Genma nodded in agreement. 

"...Daisy, ... officer aboard the starship Tokemonu." 

"Speak of the devil," Ranma growled, "this is the drone that   
Akane ran into at the mall, Vejiita-ouji." 

Vejiita nodded in agreement. He shifted slightly, getting into a   
looser stance that belied his tension. "Aren't daisies the little white   
flowers that infants pick the petals off to determine their mates?" He   
snorted and cracked his knuckles in anticipation. "But you've only got   
four petals to pluck. Won't take very long, then." 

Daisy was quiet for a moment, then spoke again. "Don't   
underestimate us, Vejiita." at the subtle shift in the male's posture,   
Daisy nodded. "Yes, I know all about you and your sister being on   
Chikyuu. You may have destroyed two of my swarms, but there are still   
eighteen others out there, assimilating scores more humans into drones.   
Our numbers grow larger and larger, while yours grows lower and lower,   
until this planet will be completely populated with drones." 

"You know, we Hachi have the same goal as you do in this universe,   
saiya-jiin. To survive. But, unlike you, we are the ones that won the   
battle. My race has flourished, growing stronger and stronger in   
numbers, while you and yours, well," he shrugged two sets of shoulders,   
ignoring the warning growls that echoed in the air, "has not, I'm afraid.   
The law of the universe is just in its judgement. The strong will survive,   
and the weak will perish. Survival of the fittest. It's a millenia-old   
saying; I'm sure it has its own version on this planet." 

"And Chikyuu's struggle is a perfect example of this principle. If   
the humans are unable to defend themselves against our attack, then we   
Hachi have shown that we are the stronger race, and we have earned the   
right to procreate here, and further the dominant species. You   
understand, of course, that this includes the saiya-jiin, as well. Your   
strength and determination will be an asset to our cause." 

He glanced around the area. "Although I will have to be careful   
not to assimilate you completely, since I plan on using you to draw out our   
future Queen. She is around here, is she not? You wouldn't leave her   
unprotected, since I know how protective saiya-jiin are about their   
family units." 

Ranma's aura flickered wildly, and Genma closed his eyes against   
the brightness. "You will not touch one fucking hair on Akane's head, do   
you hear me, Hachi! NOT ONE!" 

Daisy cocked his head, studying the flashing male with interest.   
"Ah, you must be Serori, Seiika's mate. Although the records noted that   
you had died a long time ago, I should have realized that saiya-jiin are a   
resilient bunch, and you would have survived somehow. Not to worry, you   
will make an excellent drone. Perhaps an attendant to the Queen,   
herself." He lifted one foreleg into the air and with a sharp slash of his   
claw, the drones behind him sprung into action. 

"No ki! Remember, no ki!" Trunks yelled as he swiftly pulled   
Te'ketti from his back and launched himself into the attacking swarm,   
immediately slicing off two drone's heads with one swing. 

Ranma howled as he flew into the mass of black and white bodies,   
not caring what and where he struck, his only true target the lone drone   
that hid behind the swarm. Genma, not in the best position for an   
offensive attack, just kept his head low and one arm tight around   
Ranma's neck. The other swung the long, thin blade at any drone that   
attempted to attack from the side. 

Vejiita growled under his breath as he pinpointed the drones that   
started to glow green. He knew that if they could not be assimilated,   
but if they were frozen in place, they would not be able to stop them   
from assimilating any other humans. Or go after his sister. With a hiss   
he created a large ki blade and bulleted himself into the thick of it all,   
attacking heads with a vengeance. 

Daisy watched the massacre with wide eyes. Seeing the frenzied   
attack ways the saiya-jiin made him realize just how powerful an   
adversary they truly were. He watched as all three pinpointed the exact   
weak point of the drone--the head. For if the head was gone, then the   
drone was terminated. From behind the attack force, he watched the   
detached heads and bodies rain down to the ground, falling limp and   
lifeless to the earth. Mentally, he called back two pairs of drones to his   
side, and waited to complete his final task. The swarms were there just   
for fodder--he knew that they would be destroyed. Daisy wanted to   
know just how efficient the saiya-jiin were in their destruction. 

He got his answer. 

All too soon, all that was left floating in the air were nine   
figures: four saiya-jiin; one still being carried by another, and five   
drones. 

Daisy stared down at the ground, the several-layered annihilation   
lying in multiple bits. "Well, that was...efficient, to say the least," he   
commented before taking in the status of the saiya-jiin. All four seemed   
not worse for wear. They wre filthy before, from earlier battles, and   
this one just added another layer of blood and grime to their muscled   
bodies. 

Daisy jerked one claw of each side, and both pairs of drones flew   
high into the sky, disappearing quickly from sight. Trunks immediately   
flared his aura, becoming a rapidly fading vapor trail in his effort to   
pursue them. 

Ranma leveled himself off next to Vejiita. "It seems you are the   
last one standing, drone. Now who is the dominant species?" Vejiita   
smirked. 

"Yes, yes, I can see that your egos are not damaged as well. But,   
again, you have underestimated us. We do not require sheer numbers to   
defeat our opponents." A green glow bathed the area, and both Ranma   
and Vejiita barely had time to turn around before they were frozen in   
place to see one lone drone emitting the paralyzing light over the area. 

Daisy moved forward and stopped mere inches in front of Vejiita   
and Ranma. "Sometimes, we only require a distraction." With a smile on   
his black features, he removed two of the silver discs from his forearms   
and attached them to the chests of the frozen saiya-jiin. The glowing   
drone removed one of its own silver discs and attached it to the lower   
back of Genma. 

*********

Trunks slanted his eyes against the wind shear as he chased after   
two of the drones. "Damn, these things are fast," he murmured to   
himself. He flared into super saiya-jiin, and layered on the extra boost   
needed to catch up. 

The extra power helped, and he quickly caught up to the rapid   
drones, and he shot ahead of them, a golden comet against the white   
clouds that filled the sky. He stopped suddenly, and with Te'ketii at the   
ready, he doubled back with a yell. The drones were unable to protect   
themselves from the oncoming attack, going too fast to stop their bullet   
flight, so they ended up flying directly into the deadly swing of the   
golden blade. 

The jasmine-haired male watched as the two drones plummeted to   
the ground. And as he turned to go back to the original site, a third   
drone whizzed by him, rocketing off into the distance, in the same   
direction as the others. With a growl, Trunks flared his aura and turned   
into a living torpedo, becoming another ray of light. 

Within moments, he caught up with the third drone, and sent it to   
the ground in several pieces. He slowly turned around in a circle, trying   
to find the fourth and final drone, but when he felt both his father and   
his uncle's power levels drop from high to almost non-existent in a   
matter of moments, he knew where the final drone was. "Kuso! They   
were just a distraction!" With a sky-ripping scream, he powered up to   
his highest level and shot across the expanse. 

*********

Ranma and Vejiita fell to the ground in pain, their attention on the   
discs causing their ki to wink out. Both saiya-jiin had felt the pain of the   
nanoprobes being ejected into their systems before--this being the   
third attempt of assimilation for Vejiita. And to this extent, the older   
male laughed. "You still don't know, do you, drone?" 

Daisy blinked in confusion. "What is it I am supposed to know?" 

He grunted, a wave of pain making his vision turn spotty. "Poor,   
deluded drone! Do you think this is the only time those tiny pieces of   
plastic have been injected into our bloodstream? Saiya-jiin are immune   
to your feeble attempts of assimilation!" 

The drone was taken aback at the relevation. "Immune? That   
cannot be! The nanoprobes are able to change any type of DNA into a   
drone." He stared at the males on the ground, watching for signs of   
transformation. And after a few minutes of not seeing any, he made a   
noise of frustration. "You just take longer to change." 

"Longer than you can imagine," Ranma panted, his eyes scrunched   
shut. 

"Not as long as it takes to slice of a supersonic drone's head,"   
called a snarling voice. Daisy looked up to see a sun-colored saiya-jiin rip   
out the glowing antennae of the lone drone in the sky, and then take off   
the head with his bare hands. "Trying to lure me away from the real   
action, ne?" He crushed the skull of the mutilated drone in his hands,   
letting the bits rain softly to the ground. 

Vejiita quickly stood up, ripping off the disc attached to his chest   
with one hand. "Took you long enough, boy." He scowled up at the   
pale-haired youth brushing his hands off on his clothes. 

Trunks scowled right back, not afraid of the dark look. "Yeah,   
well, I'm here now, ain't I?" 

"Trunks, get down here, now!" Both Vejiita and Trunks turned to   
Ranma, who was crouched over the large form of his groaning father. He   
was attempting to remove the silver disc from his large back. "I think an   
arm is lodged in his spine!" 

The future saiya-jiin fell from the sky and immediately pushed   
Ranma's hands out of the way, working frantically on the small buttons   
found on the faceplate. "Ojisan, can you hear me?" Trunks' only   
response was a muffled moan. 

"Have the probes been injected into his body yet?" 

Trunks shook his head. "I don't know--I can't get it off. This is   
going to hurt a lot, Ojisan." Trunks held the disc in his hands and with a   
loud yell, infused his ki into the disc, making it explode. When the smoke   
cleared, all that was left of the nanoprobe disc was a bloody mess on the   
base of Genma's spine. 

"Pops! Are you okay? Come on, speak to me!" Ranma rolled the   
large man over, earning an intense scream of pain. 

Trunks pried open one of the man's closed eyelids, and shook his   
head. "He's in shock. I hope I haven't damaged the spine too much." 

Daisy watched the frantic movements and was confused. "If what   
you say is true, why are you worrying if the probes are in his system?   
They will be ineffective, ne?" 

Ranma was about to retort, saying that he wasn't saiya-jiin when a   
blood-curdling scream came from the prone man. Everyone watched as   
his blotchy white skin darkened to midnight black, and his two sets of   
limbs contorted into segmented sections. Another soul-piercing scream   
accompanied a third set of limbs bursting through the striped sides. A   
set of antennae glistened with newly-formed blue blood as they emerged   
from the smooth black scalp. 

"Oh no...Pops..." Ranma groaned painfully, his heart twisting with   
each physical mutation that formed. 

The other two saiya-jiin turned from the grieving Ranma to focus   
on the silent Daisy. Trunks growled loudly, pulling Te'ketii from behind   
his back. "This ends now, Hachi. Your reign of terror is over with on   
Chikyuu!" 

Daisy cocked his head to the other side. "It seems you were   
mistaken, saiya-jiin. You can be assimilated." 

Ranma stood up from his crouched position on the ground. His   
head bent, hair covering his features. "We are right, Hachi. Saiya-jiin   
are impervious to your nanoprobes." A burst of ki sent the furious   
Ranma into super mode. He stood tall, his aquamarine gaze spoke of   
complete and total annihilation to the drone it focused upon. He stepped   
forward, and Daisy, sensing his impending demise, stepped back. "It just   
happened to be that he is not saiya-jiin." Ranma continued to step   
forward, and Daisy equally fled backwards. He screamed, a corona of   
gold surrounding him and launched himself at the hapless Daisy,   
grabbing him by the thin throat. He stared into the black emptiness of   
the drone's eyes, and Ranma spoke, his voice unsteady with unrepressed   
fury. "What he is, is my father, and you will pay for his death with your   
own!" With one twist of his hand, the flaming saiya-jiin decapitated him. 

And then, Ranma howled his loss to the sky. 

Both Vejiita and Trunks stared at the mourning male, and felt his   
power continue to rise, breaking all barriers that existed before,   
distinigrating the drone into dust at his feet. The ground underneath   
their feet shook and cracked, opening great jagged maws of earth. They   
watched with awe and slight horror as his hair got longer, and his body   
expanded to embrace the ascension in power. 

Just as fast as the increase came, it left just as quickly, dropping   
the wailing male back into original form, his black hair falling over the   
right side of his face; his odd dark-blue eyes turning purple in their pain.   
He fell to his knees, and his forehead touched the ground as he mourned   
the loss of the only parental figure in his life. 

*********

**~~Bronx Zoo~~**

The three adults and one child stood next to an overturned ice   
cream cart, enjoying the loss of business as they regrouped when they   
felt the power increase flood their ki senses. The three saiya-jiin   
turned to the south, their attention riveted on the huge power   
fluctuations found over there. 

Soun noticed their stance. "What's going on? Are there more   
Hachi attacking?" 

Goku shook his head. "No, at least I don't think so. It's   
just...someone increased their ki to a level unreached before." 

"Who is it?" 

Tobuma dropped the cone he held in his hand, not even noticing   
that it fell on his blue-tinged shoes. "Papa...It's the same level my father   
reached when he attacked the Hive." 

Goku turned back to the others. "Grab on. I'll teleport us there."   
The other three latched onto the tall saiya-jiin and he put two fingers to   
his head, but then opened his eyes. "His power level dropped to almost   
nothing." 

"Is he dead?" Gohan asked, his eyes wide in fear for the older   
male. 

"Not yet," his father shook his head. "Just really low." Goku   
stole a look at the tri-colored male, and saw fear in his dark eyes.   
"Trunks and Vejiita are there, too. I'll focus on them." He re-closed his   
eyes and within moments, the four fizzled out of sight.**__**

**_******_****__**

**_~~JFK Airport~~_**

Ryouga was staring at the three tailed males as they cleaned off   
the blue-coated blades. "I have never done so much fighting in one time.   
Even my battles with Ranma were never this intense." 

Nanka smiled at the dazed human. He admitted he was rather   
impressed with the young man. Ryouga had done well in the many   
encounters they had with the drones, not losing his attention or cool when   
faced with many adversaries at once. "You did well, Ryouga. I would be   
honored to have you at my side in any battle." 

Tamana nodded in agreement. "And I, as well. Although, I was   
wondering how many of those bandanna you have around your head?   
They just seemed to keep coming and coming." They laughed at the blush   
that formed over the young man's cheeks. "So what say you, Yuukari?   
Are we done here?" He turned to his older brother, who was silently   
staring out the window. 

"I believe so, Tamana," Yuukari said, nodding his head. "Although   
I think our Prince's group could use some help. There is an intense battle   
raging." He looked to Ryouga. "Young Serori is involved in that one, as   
well." 

"Ranma is there? Well, I'm all for joining in," the fanged boy   
smiled. "Looks like I'm going to have to save his tailed rear once again." 

"Again?" Nanka questioned, raising a thick eyebrow in surprise. 

Ryouga's chest puffed out, more than willing to share his exploits   
with his new comrades. "Several times I've had to rescue that sorry   
excuse for a martial artist. Like the time when that fancy prince Herb   
locked him into his cursed form." 

"The Dragon Prince Herb of the Musk Dynasty?" Yuukari's eyes   
widened in surprise. He knew of a large battle with the bratty prince.   
What he didn't know was who he fought with. 

"Yeah, I guess. He had a lot of ki attacks," Ryouga shrugged.   
"Anyway, when Herb broke open the..." he paused in his retelling of the   
fight when a large wave of ki washed over the four. "Who and what was   
that?" 

The three brothers shared an identical look, their faces drawn in   
shock at such an extreme power level. "That was Serori," Yuukari   
murmured. "I have never felt such a power before." 

"Did he go super saiya-jiin?" Nanka asked, still shocked from the   
reading. 

"It's more powerful than that, if it's possible," he shook his head,   
trying to clear it. "Come on, let's go." 

**_******_****__**

**_~~UN Building~~_**   


"Akane!" Nabiki screamed, who was one moment talking to her   
about their latest doctor's appointment, then just crumpled to the floor.   
"What's wrong!" 

Everyone immediately circled around the fallen female, cries and   
shouts for doctors drowned out the murmurings of the young woman.   
But everyone was flung away when her aura exploded yellow, pure plasma   
flying from her prone form as she was sent soaring into her ascended   
state. 

"What's happening?" President Shamar cried out, his body having   
landed behind the American consulate's table when Akane's aura   
exploded. "What is that energy?" 

"That is a high-powered energy form, Mr. President," Ninjin   
explained, helping up the blond-haired man, "that saiyans can reach   
through intensive training. It is an old legend among our people spoken   
and passed down through many generations. But I didn't know that she   
was so strong that the barrier had been broken." 

Everyone watched as Akane attempted to sit up, grunting and   
clutching at her body. "Ranma...can't control...energy..." She sat up even   
further, opening her glowing eyes toward her sister in law. "Help   
me...window..." 

Immediately, Bulma ran to the closest set of windows, using a   
chair to break them open. "Get her over here! She wants to release the   
ki safely!" Ninjin and ChiChi grabbed Akane's arms, pulling her burning   
body to the window. "Get out of the way!" The three dived behind a   
table and watched as Akane leaned over the broken glass and screamed,   
setting free the excess ki sent to her through her Bond with Ranma. 

Several moments later, the bright golden light dimmed, and Akane   
backed away from the window, her features returned to normal hues.   
ChiChi, Bulma, and Ninjin left their protective hiding spot and rushed at   
the wobbling female. "Are you okay, Seiika?" Bulma asked, wiping her   
dark hair, soaked with sweat, from her forehead. 

"I'm okay...but Ranma isn't." Akane choked on a sob. "His   
father...oh Ranma..." she collapsed into tears, hiding her face with her   
hands. She fell to her knees, her forehead touching the ground,   
inadvertingly copying the same position her mate. 

"What's wrong?" Kasumi, Nabiki and Nodoka ventured closer,   
noting the powerful light show was over with. Kasumi knelt next to her   
sister, putting a comforting hand on the shaking Akane. "What's wrong,   
Akane?" 

"Kasumi...Ranma..." The young female fell into her sister's   
embrace, soaking the young woman's blouse. 

Nodoka knelt next to the pair, her dark eyes wide with concern.   
"Akane, is something wrong with Ranma?" 

Akane looked up from Kasumi's shoulder, her own dark eyes   
shimmering with shed and unshed tears. "Oh, Auntie...not Ranma..." She   
swallowed and choked back another sob. 

"Genma's dead." 

***************

_Well, that was fairly exciting, ne? *stares at the people staring back at her for killin' off Genma* Um...the next part will be out within a few weeks, and that will finish up this arc. *stares to feel creeped out by the stares* Well, Daisy's dead, too, right?? GIVE ME A BREAK!!_   
__ __

**_Gie-chan_**   
**__** **__**

**_ACK!!!! If anyone can tell me what Ryouga really says in Japanese (I realize that what I have is wrong....oioioi) when he announces his 'lostness' please LET ME KNOW!_****__**

**_Angie_**


	35. A Meeting of Flesh: Part Two

**A Tail To Remember**   
**by Gie (phowah@cs.com)**

_Yes, it's here...I know, I know! But things are starting to take shape for the saiya-jiin...and the Hachi?_   
_Read on to find out!_****

**_Gie-chan_**   
****   
****   
****   
**** ****

**A Tail To Remember**   
**Chapter 34: A Meeting of Flesh, Part Two**   
******************* 

Nodoka blinked at the teary-eyed female. "What did you say,   
Akane?" 

"Obasan," Akane rubbed a tired hand across her face, wiping the   
trails of tears from her red cheeks, "Obasan, Genma has been turned   
into a drone by the Hachi." 

"Dr...drone?" she stammered out, her eyes widening drastically at   
the fatal news. One of her hands shakily fluttered up to her neck as she   
stood up and backed away from the pair of females on the ground.   
"What do you mean, drone?" 

"Are you sure, Akane?" Kasumi said quietly, her hands still on her   
sister's shoulders. "Are you positive Ojisan was attacked?" 

She nodded. "At least that's what Ranma's emotions are feeding   
me. That surge of power was from him." She struggled to stand up,   
several hands immediately helping her to her feet. Her tail unwound   
from her waist and wrapped around her adopted mother in law's wrist as   
she slid her own arms around the stunned woman's shoulders. "Gomen   
nasai, Okaasan." 

Nodoka burst into tears, the realization of the tragic and drastic   
news finally setting in. She clutched at the muscled shoulders enveloping   
her in their comforting embrace as huge, wracking sobs shook her thin   
frame. She buried her face into the crook of Akane's neck as tears   
coursed down her face. "Genma...oh, Genma..."****

************

** ~~Field of Battle~~**

dead 

dead 

dead 

dead 

Ranma stared blankly at the dirt in front of him, the scarred,   
blackened ground still smoking from his enormous burst of raw energy.   
He heard someone calling his name, but he ignored it, deeming it   
unimportant in the light of the event that just occurred. 

Saotome Genma was dead. 

He never acted like he cared for the old man, always   
disrespecting him left and right. Hell, beating him into a puddle of mush   
when the opportunity arose was one of his greatest stress relievers   
when he and Akane still lived in Nerima. But Genma was the one that   
looked after him for that long decade on the road; fed him, warmed him,   
trained him--well, once he landed on Chikyuu and his saiya-jiin memories   
were locked away. 

He didn't remember much of his life before he was brought to   
the palace on Vejiita-sei. Being born with such a high power level was   
fairly rare, especially for his low-class ranking. When the King found out   
about him, he was whisked away to the palace to be raised and trained   
for the newly-born royal twins' guard. He was only six months old at the   
time, so the few beginning months were hazy, and not recorded in rote   
memory. But he did get to know his birth parents fairly well later on.   
His father, Toma, was a member of a third-class purging squad, so he   
was away fairly often. But he would get to see him before and after the   
away missions he was assigned. He was a tall, short-haired male; he   
remembered that his hard, black eyes always glittered with amusement   
when he would recount his adventures with the royal twins. 

His mother, Paya, was a second-class female who worked in the   
palace kitchens. The most clear memory of her was when she would visit   
him in his quarters late at night, bringing with her a plate full of extra   
treats. After he polished off the plate in mere seconds, she would draw   
him into her lap, run her fingers through his slanted hair, so very much   
like her own, and quietly sing him to sleep, her soft tail wrapped   
comfortingly around his own. 

He could still remember her voice, and Ranma realized with a   
start, that when he was growing up on the road with Genma, her songs   
still echoed through his mind on his way to slumber. 

*Toma-papa...Paya-mama...* 

"Otousan! Are you okay?" 

Ranma blinked a few times, attempting to clear the musty   
memories away, only to focus on his own progeny looking at him with   
worried eyes, the same expression always seen on his mate's face when   
he would storm off to another fight. He blinked a few more times, and   
struggled to stand, the memories of the past being replaced with the   
fresh memories of the past hours. Tobuma immediately helped him up.   
"I'm fine, Tobuma," he murmured to his future child. As he got his   
bearing, he noticed the large crowd gathered around him, each with a   
look of worry and concern in their expressions. "I'm okay." A general   
sound of relief was heard. 

"What happened, Ranma?" the lone human asked, a look of   
concern still on his face. "The others said that you had a large increase   
in your power..." Soun looked around in confusion. "Wasn't Genma with   
you as well?" 

A look of raw pain flashed across his face. But before he could   
answer, Trunks spoke for him. "Genma's dead, Tendo-san. He was   
assimilated into a drone." He pointed a few feet behind him, and   
everyone turned to see a large black body lying still in the distance. 

"Saotome-kun..." Soun murmured and bolted over to where the   
body lie. 

Everyone else turned back to Ranma. "What happened?" Goku   
asked. "We felt you fighting and then your power level launched off the   
scale." 

"I...I don't know... All I remember is that Oyaji started mutating,   
and then..." he trailed off, his eyes turning vacant. 

"Serori killed the Hachi drone called Daisy, and then burst into a   
new form of Super Saiya-jiin." Vejiita spoke from his vantage point on   
top of a crack of earth. He jumped down, landing next to the silent   
Ranma. "His power expanded above any level we have ever reached." He   
grunted and stole a look of his brother-in-law. "He ascended beyond the   
level of Super Saiya-jiin." 

Goku looked back and forth between the quiet Ranma and the   
grumbling Vejiita. "Is that true, Serori? You went beyond? How?" 

"Goku-san," Tobuma said quietly, "how did you break the Super   
Saiya-jiin barrier?" 

"Well, when Furiiza killed Kuririn, I was so mad..." he trailed off,   
realizing the younger male's train of thought. "I get it. So when   
Serori's father died, the pain of his loss triggered the new   
transformation." He turned back to Ranma. "Can I see it?" 

"Uh, not right now, Goku," Ranma blinked, a little startled at the   
request. "I'm sorta worn out at the moment." 

A wail from the lifeless body of Genma made them look in   
surprise. Soun was hunched over the black form, mighty rivers of tears   
soaked into the scorched earth. 

Goku turned back to Ranma, who had made a sound of despair of   
his own. "Don't forget, Serori, he won't be gone for too long." 

He turned to the taller male in confusion. "What are you talk...the   
dragonballs..." his expression brightened considerably at the   
realization. "Thank you, Goku." 

"I thought you forgot about them!" Goku laughed. "But you know,   
you really should get rid of the body," he suggested, "so that when he is   
resurrected, he can be back in human form, and not that mutated form." 

Ranma nodded in agreement, and moved over to the sobbing form   
of Soun, kneeling next to him. "Tendo-san, you don't have to worry   
about Pops. He'll be brought back when this is all over with." 

Soun looked up. "What are you talking about, Ranma? Genma's   
dead." 

"Well, yeah, he is right now," Ranma winced at the blunt remark,   
scratching his neck as he tried to recover. "But he will be brought back   
with the dragonballs. They have that ability." 

"They do?" 

"Yeah, they do. And they'll bring back the rest of the people   
killed by the Hachi, too. But right now, I need you to be strong for me,   
Tendo-san; for me, and my mother. Okaasan will be hurting a lot. Can ya   
do that?" 

Soun sniffled a bit and stood up, nodding. "It's about time for me   
to grow up, isn't it, Ranma-kun?" Ranma blinked, but nodded at the   
statement. Soun pointed at the corpse of Genma. "What about him? Do   
we bring him back with us?" 

"Actually, no." Ranma shook his head sadly. He raised a glowing   
hand and with a burst of ki, Saotome Genma dissolved from existence.   
"When we bring him back, now he'll be in his original body, not this   
disgusting mutation." He looked back up and watched Soun talking to   
himself, his hands clasped together in a soft prayer. All the tears were   
gone. Ranma smiled gently to himself and joined the older man in the   
blessing. 

The others quietly watched the small service from a distance, and   
when the pair made their way back over to the group, Ranma broke the   
silence. "Now what do we do? The Hachi leader is dead." 

"Now we go on a drone-hunt," Trunks replied quietly. "The   
drones are without any distinct leadership, so they should be fairly easy   
to pick off." 

"How are we going to find them?" Gohan asked, leaning against   
his father's leg. 

"That's where the results from today's conference come into   
play," the purple-haired male responded. "With the aid of the US and   
Russian satellites, we should be able to map out the entire world, and   
find out where they've been holed up." 

"More than likely, somewhere deep underground," Tobuma added.   
Trunks nodded in agreement. 

"How long is that going to take?" 

"Not long, if everyone works in cooperation with Capsule Corp."   
Trunks turned to his father. "Can you contact Okaasan and ask her to   
start getting things in motion?" 

"What do I look like, your personal courier?" Vejiita snorted and   
turned away, jumping back up to his cliff. Trunks watched him go with a   
smile. 

Ranma smirked and shook his head. "You've got some nerve,   
Trunks, asking him to do that." Trunks just rolled his eyes. 

At that moment, the three Chinese saiya-jiin and Ryouga flew into   
range, landing moments later. "What's going on?" Yuukari asked, taking   
in the damage around them with a quick look. He turned his gaze back to   
Ranma. "Are you all right?" 

He sighed and nodded. "I'm fine, for now. My father was turned   
into a drone, but that's taken care of for now." He turned to Ryouga, a   
smirk on his face. "So, P-chan, you actually decided to show your   
pork-butt out with the big boys. Where were you this morning? Out   
ruttin' for mushrooms?" 

Ryouga's face flushed from the insults in front of his new   
friends. "Ranma...that's none of your damn business! Where's Akane?   
Why aren't you protecting her?" He clenched his hands into   
tightly-balled fists. "I swear if she's not okay..." 

Vejiita growled, making his presence known once again. "Seiika's   
well-being is nothing of your concern, human. I suggest shutting the hell   
up or dying by my hand." He growled again and a flash of yellow   
flickered through his hair. "Your choice." 

Ryouga swallowed hard and backed away, his face rapidly paling to   
a bleached white. "Uh...um..." 

"Otousan, did you talk with Okaasan?" Trunks interrupted the   
spat, directing his father's attention somewhere else. 

He glared once more at Ryouga, and turned his attention to his   
future heir. "Yes, and she is doing what she is told." He turned back to   
Ranma and glared at him. "Seiika was affected by your newest   
transformation. I suspect you have a bawling out waiting for you." 

"Hehe, you're probably right," Ranma blushed and nodded his   
head. "I suppose we better get back. Goku, would you do the honors?" 

The tall male smiled and nodded. "Sure, Serori, but you better   
warn Seiika to move to a large empty spot. I'll be focusing in on her." 

"Right. Give me a second." Ranma closed his eyes and focused on   
the bright bundle of energy that was his mate. _*Hima-chan, we're on our_   
_way back.*_

*******   
**~~At the UN Building~~**

Akane jumped, startled by the mindspeak. The others around her   
blinked at the abrupt action. _*Ranma? Are you okay? What happened?_   
_Did the Hachi do something...*_

A warm flash of emotion filled her heart. _*I'm fine, Hima-chan._   
_Although, Pops...Where are you?*_

_ *I'm in the council chambers with everyone else.*___

_ *Move somewhere else--somewhere with a lot of space. Goku is_   
_gonna teleport all of us back.*___

_ *Gotcha. Give me a second.*_

Akane opened her eyes and discovered everyone staring at her.   
"They're on their way back." She turned to President Shamar, who was   
sitting a bit away from her. "Is there a large room where I can go?" 

Bulma immediately realized what she needed. "We can go into a   
smaller meeting room. Is there one around?" 

Shamar nodded his head slowly, not quite up to speed. He was   
still dazed by the light show from earlier. "There's an empty conference   
room next door. Is that what you mean?" 

"Yes, thank you, Mr. President." Akane flashed one of her special   
smiles at the blond haired man, and she and Bulma stood up to leave. 

ChiChi stood up as well. "They're teleporting back, right?" 

"Yes," Bulma tossed over her shoulder. 

"Then I'm coming too." 

The three females found the room Shamar was talking about, and   
quickly moved the table and chairs out of the way. 

_ *We're ready.*_

Within mere moments, Akane was engulfed by familiar muscular   
arms, her mouth eagerly captured by her mate's own, the intense kiss   
readily returned. 

*********** **

After the teary welcome back, the saiya-jiin and the rest of their   
party returned to the council chambers. Immediately, a wave of   
murmurs washed over them, mostly from their state of being. There had   
been no opportunity to clean themselves from the bloodbath they   
incurred. And most of the warriors were soaked in the blue Hachi blood. 

President Shamar had returned to the front of the room, and   
tried to hide his shock at the condition of the people that had returned   
so quickly. He rapped the gavel on the desk, trying to bring some order   
to the budding chaos. "Please, everyone! Return to your postings! We   
will sort everything out within moments, please have patience. You will   
hear everything that is needed to know." 

He motioned to Nabiki, and she came forward. "Yes, Mr.   
President?" 

"Miss Tendo, can you appoint someone from the earlier delegation   
to tell us what happened? I think it would be best if Mr. Briefs or Mr.   
Saotome would fill us in." 

"Of course, Mr. President. Just give me a moment." He nodded   
and Nabiki hurried back to the Japanese delegation, where Trunks and   
Tobuma were talking with their families. "Okay, who wants to spill the   
beans?" 

The cousins shot looks between each other, and Trunks sighed in   
resignation. "I guess it's mine." He turned back to the larger group.   
"What do you want me to say?" 

"Tell them the truth," Bulma shrugged her shoulders, turning   
from the burdensome task of trying to clean her mate up. "They   
deserve to know what went on. Although they got a taste of it already,   
from the Times Square fight." She pinched her mate's arm in emphasis.   
Vejiita just rolled his eyes and quietly took Bulma's ministrations. 

Akane nodded as well, agreeing with her sister in law. "You can   
give an all-clear, if you wish. But tell them to be aware of wandering   
drones." She handed her nephew a towel. "Although you might want to   
try to wipe off the blood from your face. You're clashing with your   
hair." 

Trunks sighed and accepted the towel, trying to create some   
semblance of the day as he cleaned his face. "Thanks, Obasan." He   
tossed the towel on the ground and made his way up to the dais. 

He nodded to President Shamar, and turned to address the large,   
murmuring crowd. "Please, if I may have your attention. Can we get   
camera crews in here, too? I only want to say this once." Quickly,   
several cameras crews set up and rolled the important footage. 

Trunks began. "Just to let everyone know, this is going to be   
fairly brief, and to the point. As of an hour ago, the leader of the Hachi   
invasion force has been killed." He held up his hands as a loud mumble   
whipped through the room. "But that does not mean the Hachi are   
defeated. There are still thousands of drones alive and active.   
Hopefully, now that we have reached an agreement with the US and   
Russian governments, we will be able to track down their locations and   
destroy them as soon and as efficiently as possible. I am asking   
everyone to be on alert. If you see even one drone, please remove   
yourself from its view as quickly as possible. Just because their leader   
has been defeated, doesn't mean they've lost the ability to assimilate.   
The warriors that have been diligently fighting to keep your freedom will   
still continue to eliminate any Hachi threat that presents itself. After   
we have taken care of the imminent threat, Capsule Corp will release a   
statement." 

He looked around the room, a serious, solemn look to his tired   
features. "Please, as you return to your normal daily activities,   
remember the ones that were lost in this battle and ones past--not as   
victims, but as heroes. They deserve nothing less. Thank you." He   
nodded again to President Shamar, and stepped off the podium. 

He fell into the chair next to Tobuma, the stress of the day   
finally showing on his features. "So how's that?" 

The tri-colored male smiled. "Not bad. A little preachy, but..."   
he ducked the weak punched aimed for his head. "Hey! You asked." 

"It was fine, Trunks," Bulma smiled. "Although I'm quite glad   
that you didn't get into detail about the fighting. Now, all that's left is   
to get rid of the remaining drones, correct?" She sighed and leaned   
onto Vejiita, who snaked an arm around her distended middle. "Can we go   
back to the hotel? The little one here is getting very hungry. And when   
he's hungry, he tends to let me know with his feet." She winked at the   
older version, who blushed deeply. 

Ranma glanced at Akane who nodded as well. "I think a hot bath   
and a large meal is a great idea. We can plan what's next after dinner." 

As Bulma called for the limos to pick them up, Tobuma spoke to   
both the Russian and US delegates, giving them contact numbers at   
Capsule Corp for their satellite conferences. Ranma talked quietly with   
his mother, Kasumi, Nabiki and Soun, explaining the battle and Genma's   
subsequent death, reassuring his mother of her husband's imminent   
resurrection. 

Vejiita and Akane went and spoke with the Chinese saiya-jiin   
delegation. All four bent at the waist as they approached, their fists   
clutched tightly against their chests. "Your highnesses, we pledge our   
loyalty and servitude to you and the throne," Yuukari spoke for the   
quad. 

Akane flushed and waved her hands. "Please, get up. What did I   
say before about that?" 

"Yes, my lady," Yuukari smiled as he righted himself, his kin   
following in the same aspect. "What are you going to do now, my lady?" 

Akane blushed a little more, but ignored the courtesy. "Well,   
we're on our way back to the hotel at the moment to get cleaned up and   
eat. You are more than welcome to join us for dinner. We're going to   
discuss our clean-up strategy after we eat." 

Tamana nodded. "It would be an honor, my lady. We will join you   
as soon as we can. I believe our government will want to discuss our   
recent...disclosure, first." Yuukari nodded in agreement. Tamana then   
turned to Vejiita. "Sire, we wish to help in any way possible." 

Vejiita nodded. "My mate will give you information on how to   
contact us in the future, and your future status with me." Akane glared   
at him, but he ignored his sister. "You knew your royal family was on   
Chikyuu, yet you refused to reveal yourselves and acknowledge them.   
That is a serious crime against the Crown." He studied them all in turn.   
"How do you wish to be handled?" 

The four Chinese saiya-jiin glanced between each other uneasily.   
They were not expecting such discourse. "Well, Vejiita-sama, we did   
know you were on Chikyuu at one point, back when you first arrived to   
fight Kakarotto, but then we also knew you left. We did not know you   
had come back." 

"Vejiita, you don't expect them to be punished for such a thing?"   
Akane growled at the thought. "Then you would have to punish   
Kami-sama as well, since he was the one that hid Ranma and I from you." 

"Do not think I forgot about that old and decrepit Namek-jin, "   
he growled back. He returned his attention to the newly discovered   
saiya-jiin. "As for you four, your crimes will not be held against you."   
Akane snorted, but he ignored her once again. "But I will remember." 

"Ooh, scary, Vejiita." 

"Shut up, Seiika." 

"Make me." 

"You don't think I will?" 

"You can try!" 

Yuukari stared in bewilderment at the pair of bickering siblings.   
He turned his gaze to Ranma, who came up along side the quarreling pair.   
"Do they do this all the time?" 

"Yup. You get used ta it, after awhile." He smirked as the   
bickering started to grow into a normal Akane-fight. "Ya know, I'm   
actually really glad that you four revealed yourselves as saiya-jiin,"   
Ranma grinned at the taller males, " 'cause now I have even more   
sparring partners." 

Nanka grinned back. "Well, I don't think we're up to your level,   
Serori-sama, but you never know." 

"Right!" He sighed as Akane pulled out Ke'petik out from   
subspace, whacking her brother on the head. "Well, I think it's time to   
stop this. Hima-chan, calm down! It's probably not good for   
Tobuma-chan, now, is it?" 

**********   
**~~Back at the hotel~~**

After a long soak in the tubs, and a very large feast, eleven   
saiya-jiin and seven humans settled in to discuss the day's events, from   
the summit, to the attack on NYC, and the surrounding area, and the   
final battle that killed the Hachi leader, Daisy, and triggered Ranma's   
transformation to Super Saiya-jiin Two, as he nicknamed it. 

"So, does that mean that once the remaining drones are killed, we   
can summon Shenlong and wish everything back to the way it was?"   
Gohan asked as he flipped through one of the books his mother placed in   
front of him. 

"I hope so, Gohan," Goku responded, his features fairly serious. 

"Actually, it's not over, yet." Everyone turned to Tobuma for an   
explanation. The tri-colored male and Bulma had just closed the   
connection to a conference call with the governments of US, Russia and   
Dr. Briefs at Capsule Corp. Both wore grave expressions. "We just got   
done talking with the ones responsible setting up the satellite systems,   
and we believe we've discovered the Hachi hideout." 

"Well, that's good news, isn't it?" Ninjin asked. "The drones   
won't be very organized, and they can be taken care of swiftly." 

"You're right, Ninjin, but there's more to it, I'm afraid." Bulma   
said wearily. 

"Spit it out, Onna!" Vejiita growled. "Stop with the dramatic   
tension." 

"I'm getting to it, Otoko," she grumbled back. "The satellites   
were able to find a large concentration of movement deep underground in   
the wilds of Russia. But they also discovered something else. We have   
visitors on the way." 

"Visitors?" 

"Hai, the satellites discovered that there is a large ship headed in   
our direction. At the moment, it is on the near side of Jupiter." 

Ranma looked down at the table. "How long?" 

"A week at the maximum. More than likely, several days." 

"It happened slightly different at home, but there were two   
waves of attacks." Trunks spoke up. "In the first wave, we were   
overwhelmed with the sheer numbers of drones. We weren't expecting   
them at all. They assimilated almost a third of Chikyuu's population.   
The second wave brought the mother ship," he glanced up at his aunt,   
then looked down at the table, "and the capture of the Queen." 

"Then we don't have much time." Ranma stood up from the table.   
"I wont allow anyone to take Akane and make her some half drone, half   
saiya-jiin...thing." He threw a heated glare to the female sitting next to   
him. "I won't!" 

Akane stood next to her mate, an equally fierce expression on her   
face. "I won't let anyone take me from you or anyone else, Ranma." 

"And neither will we," Goku stood up, along with Gohan. The   
others silently stood as well, Trunks and Tobuma standing as one, the   
four Chinese saiya-jiin all bowing in respect. 

Akane stared at each of them, silently accepting their pledges of   
protection. Her gaze finally ended on her brother, who was still seated   
at the table. He was staring at her intensely, his black eyes boring into   
her own dark stare. "Well, Vejiita-baka? Aren't you going to protect   
me, too?" 

He stared at her for several moments, then rose slowly, his gaze   
never breaking her own. "If I were to lose you again, now that I just got   
you back, this crumbling mudball of a planet, let alone some miserable   
chunks of drone flesh will not survive my wrath. That I swear." 

Akane smirked and shook her head. "Why can't you be normal and   
just say 'yes'?" Vejiita let an identical smirk form. "Well, now that   
we've decided to thrash some Hachi ass, let's go get some sleep. Our   
flight leaves early tomorrow, ne, Bulma-chan?" 

Bulma nodded, a lump in her throat. "Hai." 

*************

**~~Bulma & Vejiita's room~~**

Bulma tossed the keycard onto the table, and let herself fall into   
one of the plush chairs, immediately kicking off her uncomfortable   
shoes. "Geez, my feet have swollen to at least three times their normal   
size!" She watched her mate walk by her, his own shoes flying off into a   
corner. She reached down to massage her aching arches, wincing as a   
spasm of pain shot through stomach. "Calm down, little one--now is not   
the time to play the xylophone." Standing once again, she moved over to   
where their suitcases lie, and pulling out a set of pajamas, she began to   
get undressed. 

As she was unbuttoning the denim shirt over her distended belly,   
a set of rough palms encircled her own, gently guiding the buttons from   
their holes. She sighed and leaned back into the hard embrace, shifting   
her shoulders to let the rough material fall from her frame. She laid   
one of her own hands over the set gently rubbing the hardness of her   
stomach, flinching hard when they both felt the sharp jab to her side.   
"Trunks-chan is very active tonight, ne?" 

"Hn. You know, you still can remove the brat and let him mature   
in a tank. Your weak human body was not meant for the vigorousness of   
a saiya-jiin cub." Vejiita nipped the side of Bulma's neck. "You are only   
halfway along now. Your insides will be ripped to shreds by the time he's   
ready to come out." 

She sighed and shook her head, "I can see what you mean, but I   
want to carry him as long as possible. Seiika will carry hers for full   
term, right?" She felt him nod into her neck. "If Trunks goes into a   
tank, then he and Tobuma won't be the same age, like they are now.   
Trunks will be a little over a month older." She turned around in his   
embrace, locking her gaze into his half-lidded own. "And I really don't   
want to split my attention between the Hachi and Trunks." 

"Fine," he conceded reluctantly, "when the pain is too intense,   
then the brat will be removed. I won't hear no more arguments." 

"Agreed." Another kick made Bulma smirk. "Seems like someone   
else agrees, as well." 

**************

**~~The Tokemonu, near Jupiter~~**

When Violet came onto the bridge, his attention was immediately   
drawn to a light flashing on one of the secondary consoles. After   
checking to see what it meant, he stared at it for a full minute, before   
realizing what it indicated. "Captain, you might want to take a look at   
this." 

Iris turned from his position at one of the other consoles across   
the deck. "What is it, Violet? I am quite busy at the moment." 

"Sir, I am getting a signal from Chikyuu. Or rather, a loss of   
signal." 

Iris stood and quickly moved to where Violet was working. "What   
are you talking about?" 

"Since Daisy left the ship, we have had a continuous alert lock on   
his position. It fed us information about his position, as well as basic   
data about his immediate surroundings." He pointed to the brightly   
blinking light. "This means we've lost our connection." 

"Do you know what's wrong? Can you restore it?" 

Violet's claws flashed over the console. "It's not an error on our   
end. Something happened on Chikyuu." He turned to look at his   
commander. "Do you think...?" 

Iris shook his head, anticipating the train of thought. "No. Try   
to contact him. Maybe something is going on in the atmosphere that is   
blocking the signal. Try to hail him." 

Violet shook his head, the blinking light distracting the corner of   
his eye. "Nothing, sir. No response." 

"Are you trying the right frequency? Patch the signal through to   
the ship itself. Try and get one of the other drones." 

Violet nodded. "We've got someone. Patching it through to the   
main viewer." 

They turned to the main screen, where a black and white drone   
filled the area. "This is Captain Daisy, where is your commanding   
officer?" 

The drone let out several different-pitched chirps. Iris shook his   
head. "No, that's not I mean. Where is Commander Daisy? What was   
his last known location?" 

The drone again responded with the same tones, only in a   
different sequence. Iris nodded in reply. "Show me his last location on   
screen." The drone disappeared and a relief map with a white blinking   
dot replaced the image. 

Violet shook his head. "That doesn't mean anything to me." 

"I agree. Show me Daisy's location as of right now." The white   
light disappeared from the screen. Iris grunted impatiently. "He's still   
not showing up. Is there something wrong with the systems?" The   
drone returned to the screen and replied in the negative. "Any storms   
or electrical disturbance that might interfere with the signals?" The   
drone again replied in the negative. The captain sighed. "Fine. Recall all   
parties back to base and stop all missions and gatherings until you hear   
from me again." He signaled to Violet to disconnect their link. 

After a moment, Iris turned to Violet, who was staring at his   
leader with an expressionless frown. "Can we assume the worst now,   
Captain?" 

"Yes, Violet, we can. It seems that Daisy has been killed." 

"More than likely by the saiya-jiin." Both drones turned to the   
new speaker, Rose, who had one set of legs crossed over his abdomen.   
"And that leaves Chikyuu's drones without any direction." 

"I recalled the collecting squads, Rose, and told them to sit tight."   
He sat back down at the console he was working at before. "This way,   
they won't be picked off by the saiya-jiin." 

"But we still won't arrive for several days. That gives them   
plenty of time to destroy the nest Daisy already started to build." 

Iris turned to face the fuming Rose. "They haven't found the   
nest yet. Odds are they won't by the time we arrive." He switched   
subjects. "How's your side project with Poppy coming?" 

Rose nodded. "We've completed it." 

"Can I ask what it is?" 

"Let's just say it's a bit of insurance if things go wrong with the   
saiya-jiin." 

Violet turned around to look at Rose. "Insurance?" 

Rose nodded again. "The saiya-jiin are a tough species. Poisons   
don't affect them, pain is nothing to them, and obviously, they're   
impossible to assimilate. So Poppy, Mum and I have created a super   
nanoprobe. Hopefully, it'll work as planned." 

Iris slowly nodded, taking in the new tactic. "I hope it does, too.   
Are the Queen's nanoprobes ready?" 

"Poppy said yes. That was what I was coming up here to tell you.   
You need to go down and get fitted for the injection." 

"I'm almost done here. I'll go do that when I'm finished." 

******************

** ~~~Chikyuu, the next day~~~**

The minute they arrived back at West Capital, preparations were   
swiftly made, each body doing their part to prepare for the raid on the   
newly-discovered hive in Russia. Bulma and Trunks were working closely   
with their counterparts in Russia and the US, trying to coordinate the   
exact location of the Hachi activity. Akane, Tobuma, and Vejiita were in   
conference with the Chinese saiya-jiin, bringing them up to date on what   
they needed to know to prepare for the Hachi in all respects. Ranma and   
Goku were sparring heavily, trying to bring back the drastic increase in   
power Ranma displayed the day before, when his father was killed by the   
Hachi drone, Daisy. 

Ranma fell to the floor, numerous gashes spilling copious amounts   
of blood, staining the gravity chamber's white tiles a deep crimson. He   
held up a aura-covered hand to Goku, whose own glowing fist had come   
within spitting distance from his palm. "Stop, Goku! I need to take a   
breather." He attempted to stand up, wincing hard when his tail shifted,   
sending pulsating shocks of pain up and down his spine. "I think you   
broke my tail."   
  
The taller male nodded, unclenching his fist to lend Ranma a hand   
up. "Sorry about that. I thought I felt something snap when I threw   
you against the wall the last time. You gotta remember to keep it   
wrapped around your waist." He indicated to his own appendage, safely   
tucked under his sash. "You know, maybe we're approaching this the   
wrong way." 

Ranma sighed in agreement, tossing an extra towel to the elder   
male. "I think I know what ya mean. These power increases are always   
linked to something, ya know? Each of us triggered the main   
transformation because of somethin' drastic that occurred. I can feel   
the threshold--touch it, even. But," he growled under his breath, "I   
just can't break it again." 

"More than likely, you'll be able to call on it when you need it the   
most," Goku suggested. "It seems like that's the way things like that   
tend to work." 

Just then, a console beeped, indicating a call coming through.   
Ranma limped over to the console, and activated the view screen.   
"Yeah?" 

"Hey, Serori. Are you and 'Tousan done in there?" Gohan's   
expression was filled with seriousness. 

"Just about, Gohan. Your dad beat me up plenty good. We'll be   
out in a minute. Did you need something?" 

"There's a couple of people out here that want to talk to you. You   
and 'Tousan both. I'll explain when you get out." Gohan terminated the   
link. 

Ranma turned to Goku. "What do you think that was about? He   
seemed really concerned about somethin'." He turned the gravity off,   
and the lights returned to normal as the system shut itself down. 

"We'll find out when we get out." 

*******

They were greeted by several people waiting for them. Along   
with Gohan, Kuririn and Ryouga were standing along the wall. "Hey, Goku,   
Serori," Kuririn greeted the sweaty saiya-jiin. He stood up from his   
leaning position against the wall. "You mean that Vejiita actually let you   
use his baby without him being present?" 

Goku chuckled, throwing the towel in his hands at his longtime   
friend's shiny head. "Of course, Kuririn. He's not as bad as you think he   
is." 

Ranma punched in a set amount of time in the regeneration   
chamber, to fix his broken tail. "Did you want to talk to us about   
somethin'? Gohan sounded pretty serious." 

Kuririn glanced at Ryouga, who just looked away in   
embarrassment. "Thanks, buddy. Yeah, actually we did." He scratched   
at the nape of his neck as he thought about his wording. "Well, you now   
I...we were thinking about the Hachi attack tomorrow, and we were   
thinking, that maybe, well..." he trailed off. 

"Spit it out, man," Ranma groaned, impatient. His tail was killing   
him. "What are you trying to say?" 

"Shut up, Ranma!" Ryouga growled, his hand held up menacingly.   
"Or I'll make you look worse than you already do!" 

Goku held up a hand, stalling the impending fight. "What's going   
on, Kuririn? What do you need to say?" 

"Fine, I'll just spit it out." He inhaled deeply.   
"DoyoureallyneedushumanstheretomorrowbecauseIthinkitwouldbebetteri   
fwestayedbehind." 

Everyone was silent for several moments. 

"Do you really think that, Kuririn? Are you sure you want to stay   
here?" Goku said slowly, looking with concern at the shorter man. 

"Yeah, actually, I think it would be best, you know?" He stared up   
at his childhood friend in earnest. "I mean, I would love to be out there   
fighting at your side, Goku, like old times, but I think we would be safer   
at home. You saiya-jiin have that extra safeguard that we humans don't,   
you know? I think it would be for the best." 

Ranma turned to his friend, both eyebrows raised in surprise, "Do   
you think the same thing, Ryouga? You're not the one that usually likes   
to sit out on a good fight." 

"Well," he scratched the back of his neck, "I would be there, too,   
but he made some good points." His embarrassment faded away. "I   
think I'll be a better help if I stay here and help guard Akane, since   
you'll be gone." 

He nodded seriously. "Thank you, Ryouga. That means a lot to me.   
Although, don't let Akane know you're 'guarding' her, or she'll wallop ya   
with that hammer of hers." Ryouga nodded in understanding. 

Goku turned back to Kuririn. "What are you going to do?" 

"Actually, I'm gonna go see Korin and check up on the senzu crop.   
Maybe stop and say hi to Kami-sama. He might be able to give us a   
better approximation of when the mother ship is going to arrive." 

"That's actually a good idea, Kuririn, " Goku smiled. He looked   
down at his son, who was clinging to his gi pant leg. "Would you like to go   
with him, Gohan? I think we'll be able to handle the hive just fine   
without you." 

He looked up to his father. "Are you sure, Otousan?" 

"Yeah, I think so. Yuukari and his group are gonna come with, so I   
think we're covered. Besides, your mom is still mad at me for letting you   
go with us in New York." Gohan smiled and nodded in agreement. 

"All right, Gohan! It's me and you, just like on Namek-sei."   
Kuririn grinned at the younger child. "This time, no Bulma orderin' us   
around, ne?" 

"Hai!" 

"Well, if we're all done here, I gotta half-hour nap coming up."   
Ranma growled as he activated and climbed into the healing chamber.   
"My tail is killin' me." 

***************

** ~~That night, at a late dinner~~**

"So are we really ready?" Everyone was gathered around the   
large table in the main dining hall. They moved into the larger spot when   
the Chinese saiya-jiin were invited to dinner. Akane had a worried look   
to her features. "Is everything and everyone ready for tomorrow?" 

"Stop worrying, Akane," Ranma mumbled around a mouthful of   
food. He swallowed and continued, "We're gonna be just fine." 

"That's easy for you to say, baka," she nailed him on the shoulder   
with a hard fist, "you're going to be there. You're not the one sitting at   
home, waiting for you to come back, like normal." 

"You know, Seiika, we don't have to just sit here," Bulma   
suggested, pointing a manicured nail in her direction, "you can give us   
another aerobic class. I feel like I've gained double my body weight." 

ChiChi agreed. "That's not a bad idea, Bulma. It would be a   
welcome distraction." 

"It would have to be fairly low-impact, though, since I've   
discovered that I can't see my toes anymore." 

Akane slowly nodded. "I guess I could use a workout." 

"Yeah, you do." Akane glared at Ranma, his comment not meaning   
what it sounded like. "Nani? I just meant that you've been bouncin'   
around with so much pent-up energy, you're drivin' me crazy." 

She glared at him again, but instead of insulting him, she just   
sniffed disdainfully. "You didn't seem to mind." The other females   
giggled at her implied comment. Ranma just blinked cluelessly. She hid   
her own giggle and shook her head. "Never mind, Ranma. I think it's a   
good idea." She wiped her mouth and stood up from the table. "I think   
I'm done here. I'll go call my sisters and see if they want to join us, too.   
That way we'll all be together." 

Ranma grabbed her arm, pulling her back to her spot. "Oh no,   
you're not. You barely ate a plateful. You've gotta eat more." He filled   
up another plate full of food, and forced a set of chopsticks into her   
hands. "Eat, or I'll use the technique I learned fightin' that French   
guy." Akane growled but did what she was told. 

Vejiita glared at Bulma, a silent message of warning_, *Do not even_   
_think of leaving, Bulma. You have not eaten enough, either.*___

She glared right back. _*I ate more than Seiika did.*___

_ *Still, you aren't eating enough for both you and the brat. More_   
_than likely, the reason he's been so active lately, is that he's restless._   
_Feed him more, and he'll calm down.*_

She snorted. _ *As if that would work.*_ She turned her attention   
from her mate to her plate as she snatched up a chunk of chicken, taking   
a hard bite from the meat. _ *It doesn't work for you.*_

He smirked back. _*There is no food in this world that would_   
_'calm' me down.*_

"Anyway, " she spoke aloud, drawing her attention to Akane once   
again, "everything is set for tomorrow morning. Our contacts in Russia   
say that the location of the hive is in the middle of nowhere, so there   
won't be any innocents around. They should be able to swoop in there   
and take them by complete surprise." 

"Is there a reason why we're waiting until the morning? Why not   
go now?" Goku looked around the table. He received several nods.   
"Their reinforcements get that much closer if we wait." 

Bulma sighed. "Well, we weren't sure that we would be ready.   
But fine, throw away all of our intricate planning--you can go off   
half-cocked, naked and blind in the darkness. See if I care!" She   
grabbed a carrot and bit into it harshly, peeved about her plans being   
tossed to the wind. 

"Calm down, 'Kaasan," Trunks said with a smile as he and Tobuma   
stood up as one. "The sooner we get it done, the better, ne? Come on,   
Tobu-kun, let's go get the map." The pair of cousins left. The room   
immediately filled with noise as chairs were scraped back, silverware   
clattered onto plates as everyone started to get ready for the   
impromptu raid. 

"Guess you're not gonna do that dancin' class, Akane," Ranma   
smiled and as he stood up, he pulled his mate up with him. "Come on,   
Hima-chan, walk with me as I go get changed." 

"Do you want to go tonight, Ranma?" She asked him as they made   
their way to their suite. When they entered, Akane went to the large   
chest of drawers, pulling out a set of his training clothes, black with the   
jagged red line. She sat on the bed rubbing her large stomach and   
watched as switched outfits. "I wish you didn't have to go." 

He popped his head through the neck hole and scowled at her.   
"Why not? If I don't go, then thousands more will die. You don't want   
that to happen, right?" 

She blushed and shook her head. "I guess I'm just being selfish.   
I want you here with me and Tobuma-chan." She flashed him a bright   
smile. "Go on, have fun. Keep an eye on Vejiita-chan for me." 

He sat down on the bed and drew her into his lap. "Don't worry,   
Hima-chan, we'll be just fine. And when this Hachi mess is over with,   
the only thing on my schedule will be you, and only you." He nipped her on   
the nose. "Well, you and Tobu-chan, ne?" He laid a palm on her hard   
stomach. "Did you know Bulma is having a hard time carrying Trunks to   
full term? Vejiita is worried about her." 

"He told you that?" 

"Well, not exactly. I overheard them arguing about her building a   
tank today. He wanted her to do it, and she was busy doing something   
else." He chuckled. "I sorta gleaned the worried part from that. I   
haven't heard you complaining about the pain. Are you having any   
problems?" 

A warm smile lit up her features. "Well, he is going to be an   
active little one when he is finally born, but it's not that bad, yet. I've   
gotten a few kicks to the ribs, but nothing unmanageable." A thought   
came to her. "If Bulma puts Trunks into the gestation chamber early,   
then he and Tobuma won't be the same age anymore. I'm going to have   
to talk with Bulma about this. We'd really like them to remain the same   
age. The future set of cousins get along so well." 

"A month or so ain't that big of a difference, Akane. Come on, I   
better go." They stood up and walked back down the hall and outside the   
main door, to the front lawn, where they decided to meet. 

They were greeted by everyone else. "About time, 'Tousan,"   
Tobuma smirked. "We were wondering who would have to go get you." 

"Stuff it, brat, I'm here," Ranma rolled his eyes. "So are we   
ready?" 

"We were only waiting for you, Ojisan," Trunks nodded. He looked   
around to the group of saiya-jiin and humans present. "I've got the   
coordinates locked into my watchgrid, so follow me." Trunks flared his   
aura and launched himself into the air, immediately followed by an   
explosive light show that filled the night sky as everyone else shot after   
him. The three females, Akane, Bulma and ChiChi, stared into the   
darkness, watching until the vapor trails of all ten males had   
disappeared. 

"Well, they're gone," Bulma sighed as the last dot winked out,   
"now we get to do what we do best." 

"Worry, and wait." ChiChi finished.****

**************

After chatting for awhile with the two older females, Akane   
feigned tiredness and bid them goodnight. But she didn't go to sleep.   
When she got back to her suite of rooms, she got undressed and   
redressed into a set of Ranma's old Chinese shirt and pants he gave her,   
since he had grown out of them quickly. With her sharpened saiya-jiin   
senses, she still could smell Ranma's scent on them, so deeply ingrained   
into the silky fabric, even after numerous washings and repairs his faint   
musk remained. It gave her a sense of comfort; she imagined her mate's   
arms wrapped around her, even when he couldn't be there to do it   
personally. 

She must have actually fallen asleep, for the next thing she   
realized was that her wish had been granted. Sleepily, she blinked her   
eyes open, and was greeted with the welcome sight of smoky blue. 

"Ranma...? Are you back already?" 

The corners of his eyes crinkled up. "Already? We've been gone   
all night. It's early in the morning, now. I even had time to clean up."   
She sat up, fully coming awake. He was leaning against the edge of the   
bed, clad only in a set of loose black gi pants, and no shirt. He did indeed   
smell freshly washed, and the droopiness of his hair indicated that it   
was still wet. He cocked his head as she took him in. "I'm surprised you   
fell asleep. I went level two again. I think I can control the   
transformation now, too." 

"How did it go?" She didn't notice any sign of puncture wounds   
from assimilation attempts, or any glaring burns from reflected ki. A   
small bruise was forming his arm, and she touched it gingerly. "What   
happened?" 

"Ah, that, well, you see it was actually my fault for that one. I   
was running down a corridor and turned a corner too fast." 

She snorted. "You hit a door." 

"I hit a door." He shrugged. "Actually, the only serious injury we   
received was by Vejiita. He got clobbered in the neck by a flying body   
part. He's gonna have a bruise there for awhile." He laughed. "The   
funny thing is, it hurts for him to talk, and you should have heard him   
cuss out Goku, who was the one that let the leg come flyin' at him." 

"But you just said it hurts for him to talk." 

"Yeah, it does, but do you think that'll stop your brother? He   
just had this weird look on his face as he bawled poor Goku out. I bet   
Goku's ears will be ringin' all day." 

She smiled at him, "So how did it go? Obviously, things went   
well." 

"They did. You should have seen the number of drones there. It   
was a virtual hornet nest we stumbled into. There must've been   
thousands upon thousands of drones in there." He fell onto the bed next   
to her. "Trunks led us right to where the satellites told us where it was.   
We ripped into the side of the ship and just started killin' them. They   
were everywhere, but we were right, they were surprised. It was   
actually a good thing that we went when we did, 'cause I think they   
would have been more active in the daytime. They seemed pretty   
lethargic, and we tore through them like paper." 

Akane shifted her position in bed, laying her head on his chest,   
and his hand automatically went to her hair. His strong triple-beat   
thumped soothingly into her ear. "So how did Yuukari and his group do?"   
She sighed and enjoyed his fingers lightly massaging her scalp. 

"They did great! Ya know, Ryouga told me that he was fighting   
with them at the airport in New York, and he wasn't exaggeratin' about   
their skills. I think Vejiita was pretty impressed with them, too. Trunks   
will make the official announcement later on this afternoon." He let out   
a jaw-cracking yawn. "Are you gonna get up, or stay here in bed with   
me? I'm exhausted. My body isn't used to using all that energy up." 

"Why did you go that high, then? Was it necessary?" A frown   
marred her features. "Why didn't I feel it?" 

She felt him shrug. "I don't know why you didn't feel it. I did   
have my side of the Bond closed off pretty tight. And it wasn't such a   
drastic jump this time, either. You don't react when I flare into Super   
Saiya-jiin anymore, right?" 

"No, not really. I can feel it, but my ki doesn't react." They were   
silent for a minute or so. "Ranma, are you asleep yet?" 

"Nah, not yet." 

"If I get captured, what will you do?" 

He paused for a heartbeat. "You won't." 

"But what if..." 

He cut her off. "You won't be, Akane. I won't let them. It   
might've happened in the future timeline, but it won't happen in ours."   
His arms swiftly gathered her close to him, crushing her against his   
chest. "I won't allow it; neither will Vejiita or anyone else. You will   
never leave my side, you got that?" He bit back a sob as he buried his   
face in her thick mane. "I love you, Akane! I love you and you're not   
getting rid of me that easily!" 

She laughed through the tears that poured down her face. "Baka,   
I love you, too! If I wanted to get rid of you, don't you think I would've   
done it a while ago? Especially with all the crap that's tried to keep us   
apart. I have never given up on you, ever!" 

One thing led to another, and with a fit of passion, they came   
together to seal their love for the other. 

Afterwards, as she snuggled down into his warm chest, wrapping   
her arms around his waist in a loose hug, she breached his euphoria with   
a response to his earlier question. "I'm just fine, right where I am." 

He let a smile stretch across his face. "You better think so,   
'cause you give off more heat than Pops did when he was a panda." 

"Well, I hope you enjoyed this more than the smell of fur." They   
both sighed in contentment, all fears banished from their immediate   
thoughts. 

"Don't worry, Hima-chan, I do." 

******************

_Yes, this *was* a long time coming, and I apologise. But things have happened, ne? I'm sure y'all wanted **more** things to happen, but, hey, it's pretty freakin' long right now. And this has been a long time comin'...___

_To tell you the truth, my big announcement was that I was gonna put a hold on this story, and start on the side-story 'The Story of Toma," aka my version of the Story of Bardock, but, eh...I think ATTR is starting to wind down, ne? Sorta seein' the conclusion comin' down the tracks...so I'm not gonna do that. Instead, I'm gonna keep pluggin away at ATTR until it's done...hopefully by its FFnet aniversary of 9-2-00. Oi! It's been a looong trip! Do I still have any of ya out there? *chirp chirp* hehehe___

_Until next time, my friends....ja matte ne!___

_Gie-chan_


	36. The Light in the Dark

**_A Tail To Remember_**  
**_by Gie: phowah at cs dot com_**

_Merry Chiristmas, minna-san! A present for you!_

**_A Tail To Remember_**  
**_Chapter Thirty Five: The Light in the Dark_**

**_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
_**

Bulma, Akane and the set of cousins stood in front of a large  
monitor. The scene projected a three dimensional image of an elliptical  
ship, its tactical information flashing on the screen next to it. Bulma's  
gaze kept flicking back and forth, comparing the stats to the image she  
was creating. A few quick flicks of her fingers over a keyboard shifted  
the image around, getting a different side and new information. "I think  
that's the best approximation I'm going to get, with this equipment."

"I think that's about right, Okaasan," Trunks agreed, an eye  
squinting at the completed image. He moved from his position to take in  
a different angle. "At least from what I can remember from the old  
news feeds, it looks like the same image from our time."

"It's close enough, at any rate."

The four of them stared in quiet silence, each thinking their own  
thoughts about the day ahead. At their estimates, the ship was  
supposed to arrive in a standard orbit in their atmosphere sometime  
within the next forty-eight hours. Long-range satellites sent back  
grainy pictures of the dark, egg-shaped ship as it sailed steadily closer  
to Chikyuu, and with each minute it drew near, their apprehension grew  
in proportion. Vejiita and Ranma at the moment were working their  
frustration out in the gravity chamber, and their mates were hoping they  
will knock themselves unconscious in the effort, just so they would  
remain out from under foot. The pair of cousins were reviewing old news  
feeds from Mirai Bulma's notes and records, hoping to gather as much  
information about the event in their time to anticipate anything that may  
happen in this one.

Bulma was reading her counterpart's personal journal and came  
across an entry about the spaceship en route, and decided to reproduce  
it for her own viewing. "It's not going to matter much to us what it looks  
like, anyway, since she said that it didn't make landfall for several weeks  
after the initial attack." She sighed and closed the book with a snap,  
making the trio of saiya-jiin jump. She giggled and then immediately let  
out a loud gasp, almost tipping out of her chair as she clutched at her  
side in pain. "Damn it."

Trunks and Akane turned worried eyes to each other and then to  
the bent-over female. "Bulma-chan, are you okay?" Akane crouched next  
to her, placing a glowing hand on the prominent silk-covered swell of her  
stomach, being very careful about her identical condition. "He's very  
restless. Have you eaten lately?"

She shrugged, her face contorted from the effort to keep her  
reactions calm. "I ate a large breakfast, well, fairly large for me." She  
pushed away Akane's hand and sat up straighter. "It's just all the extra  
worrying." She gave her sister in law a reassuring smile and winked at  
the adult version of her child above her. "I'm sorry, Trunks-kun, I think  
you're going to be born with worry lines. Probably the identical ones on  
your face now." Trunks blushed and the deep creases in his forehead  
and around his mouth smoothed out. "Oh, they're gone, good. I thought  
they've become a permanent fixture on your handsome face."

"Okaasan..."

She waved a hand and stood up slowly, Trunks immediately helping  
her into a better position. "It's nothing for you to be worrying about.  
Either of you. I'm fine."

"But Okaasan, you should..."

"And I will, so stop worrying about me. Your father will help me.  
Now, you go back to work, all right?"

"Listen to her, brat. I will take care of my mate."

"Otousan?" Trunks looked over to the voice, discovering Vejiita  
and Ranma framed in the entryway, their shredded bodies sweat  
drenched and blood soaked.

"Ranma! What were you two doing?" Akane snorted at the image  
they presented. "Trying to kill yourselves?"

He smirked and crossed his arms, ignoring the sharp pain and  
blood splattering. "He tried. What's going on?"

Akane ignored her mate, instead focusing on her brother as he  
made his way into the room. "She's in pain, but it's not as bad as it looks,  
or feels. I think he bruised one or two of her ribs. Nothing is broken,  
ne?" She gave Bulma a look and the blue-haired female shook her head,  
still clutching at her side.

"I just need to go lie down for awhile." She took a few hesitant  
steps and smiled. "See, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about. I think  
Trunks-chan is developing his ki abilities with a flair for the dramatic,  
that's all." She slapped away the insistent glowing hand with an irritated  
sigh. "I just need a nap and a meal, Vejiita. Help me back to the  
bedroom?" He grunted and with a swift movement, swept her off her  
feet and into his arms, and out the room.

Akane sighed and rubbed her forehead wearily, "I think we all  
need a nap and a meal, to tell you the truth." She turned warm chocolate  
eyes to her cool smoky gaze of her mate. "In which order?"

"Food first."

She nodded and turned to the boys. "Do you want to join us?"

Tobuma indicated the negative, not looking up from his screen.  
"Not right now, Kaasan."

"Trunks?"

He glanced down at his kin, hesitated, but then waved a hand.  
"You go on, Obasan. I want to finish up here first."

Akane shrugged and turned to Ranma, who was intently staring at  
her. "What?" He smirked. "What's that look for?" His smirk stretched  
farther and he held out a hand, and cautiously, she took it. "What's up  
with you?" He turned and pulled her from the lab.

"I think I changed my mind. I'm suddenly really tired."

"Oh, you!"

Trunks gave the departing pair a small smile but it quickly went  
away when he turned back to Tobuma. He had been studying the old  
news feeds, just like he, but there was something wrong. He sat back  
down. "What'd you find, Tobu-kun?"

"Hm?" He glanced up, distractedly, and noticed the room was  
empty. "Where'd everyone go?"

"They left, Tobuma. Didn't you notice?" The worry lines came  
back again. "What's up? You didn't even see that our fathers came in  
from the gravity room, all bloody and torn up?"

"Oh, they're done?" He saw the look on Trunks' face and sighed.  
"It's just that....well, here, you take a look." He scrolled up a few pages  
and pointed out an article, by one of the local newspapers of the time.  
"Fourth from the top."

**Loss Discovered Close to Home**  
**Osadaku Nami, Rumor Bin Editor**  
_(Nerima) So far the Nerima prefecture has been lucky; the_  
_aliens have ignored our little niche in the wall. But this reporter_  
_has discovered that a prominent family in town recently may have_  
_lost one of its members in the devastating attack last month._  
_Saotome (nee Tendo) Akane, daughter of council member and dojo_  
_owner Tendo Soun, was honeymooning with her new husband,_  
_Saotome Ranma, on the mainland, when the aliens cut their_  
_vacation short. This reporter has also learned that they were in_  
_the company of Capsule Corp darling Briefs Bulma, her mysterious_  
_husband, and the newborn baby heir! The families and Capsule_  
_Corporation have refused to comment on the connections or_  
_whereabouts of Saotome Akane, but this reporter has discovered_  
_that the newlyweds had just been blessed with a child. What a_  
_tragic end to the start of a promising young family!_

Trunks turned to look at his cousin. "Why are you reading this?  
This is just a rumor file in a trash magazine. Where did you find this?"

"Well, they've got the facts right, didn't they?" He turned away  
from his cousin. "I just did a general search on 'Saotome' and this came  
up. It just struck close to home, that's all."

"Tobu-kun," Trunks sighed and turned the screen off, "of course  
it struck close to home. It's about your parents. Tobu-kun," he put a  
comforting hand on his shoulder, but the younger male shrugged it off.  
"Tobuma, listen. You need to remember, that they're a hundred times  
more prepared for the attack than our time was. We're going to win."

He was silent for a few minutes. "I know. But that doesn't make  
it that much easier to remember that my mother was captured in the  
battles resulting from the attack. It doesn't make it any easier for me  
to feel confident about it."

"No, it doesn't, but this should: things are different."

'What?" Tobuma turned, his interest peaked. "Different?"

Trunks nodded. "Didn't you notice? Things are different  
here--they're not happening in the same time frame. The first Hachi  
attack was on the same day, sure, but it's just been over three months  
since then, and the main ship arrived back in our time seven months  
later. They're early. We aren't even born yet. Although," he gave his  
friend a smirk, "it looks like I'm going into a gestation tank soon, so that  
means I'm gonna be a whole month older than you, here."

"Shut up, ya half-breed gaki," Tobuma scowled at the jibe, but  
his expression brightened as the realization of Trunks words sunk in.  
"That means things might play out different here, too. Kaasan might not  
get captured and be made the Queen."

"Right. But that also may mean that other things will happen  
differently, too. We still have to be on guard. It could mean, instead of  
Obasan's kidnapping, it could mean she dies. Or 'Tousan gets captured,  
or even dies now, instead of in a few years, or whatever else we can  
think of. We really don't know."

The tri-colored saiya-jiin sighed and wiped at his eyes wearily.  
"So we're still back at square one, ne?"

"Sorta, but not completely." Trunks stood and held out a hand to  
his companion. "C'mon, _Bubu_, let's go get something to eat."

He slapped away the offered hand and stood on his own. He  
growled and pushed at the purple-haired male's back, following him out  
the door. "Whatever,_ Tunks_."

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

Vejiita had not said a word as he made their way to the suite of  
rooms they shared. He paused just long enough to open the door, but  
was still close-mouthed when he set her on the large bed.

She stared at him with quiet submissiveness as he quickly and  
efficiently made short work of the button-up blouse and stretch pants  
she wore, discarding them and her underthings to the side. As soon as  
she was naked, his attention immediately focused on her side, where she  
clutched in pain earlier. His fingers prodded the tender area, taking  
careful inventory of the small hiss that escaped her lips as he found the  
spot.

Satisfied that there was no permanent damage he straightened,  
finally focusing on her face with his black gaze but said nothing. He  
moved from her side and went into the bathroom, where she heard the  
water begin to run in the bath.

Bulma rolled her eyes, while rubbing the bridge of her nose. She  
knew what was he was going to say, once he spoke. And this time, she  
admitted to herself, she just might need to take it in consideration. She  
could have sworn Trunks-chan broke one of her ribs.

She turned her attention back to Vejiita, who reappeared from  
the bathroom, still bloody, but he had removed the tattered remains of  
his training outfit so he stood there in front her, in all his naked glory.  
She smiled slightly, but the frown on his face robbed her of the  
expression. She studied his features, reading his mood, and opened her  
arms in invitation. With a grunt, he acquiesced, lifting her into his arms  
once again and carried her into the bathroom, where she discovered she  
was correct with her assumption: the bath was filled and waiting.

Gently, he lowered both of them into the warm water, rearranging  
her so her back was flush to his chest and she rested comfortably  
between his heavily muscled thighs. One of his hands reached for the  
loofah sponge and the other spread a generous amount of soap into the  
pores. After creating a thick lather, he slowly and carefully washed her,  
from toe to nose, being extra gentle with her side and protruding womb.  
Efficiently he cleansed himself, turning the water a darker pink with the  
blood he had managed not to rinse away by just being in the bath. During  
the entire process of washing, no words were uttered, only a few quiet  
sighs from Bulma were heard as she enjoyed his tempered ministrations.  
They let the steam seep into their pores for several moments, their  
thoughts to themselves, but known to the other.

His tail snaked around, caressing the tight skin of her abdomen.  
"You will prepare a tank."

She nodded into his shoulder, her eyes drooping as the steamy air  
lulled her into a heady state. "If I must."

"Yes."

"It'll be a few days before it will be ready. Before I am ready."

His hand was heavy on her stomach as he felt the movement  
within. "As soon as possible. He is ripping you apart." He was quiet for a  
moment. "I felt your pain, Bulma. I never wish to experience it again."

"All right."

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**After dinner that night**

Trunks and Tobuma looked up from their notes when everyone  
started to gather in the spacious living room. The first to arrive were  
the main residents of Capsule Corporation. Ranma and Akane plopped  
down on a couch, bickering to themselves about when their family  
members were going to arrive from Nerima: that evening or the next  
morning. Bulma settled it the moment she walked into the room, tossing  
the cell phone in her hands to them. "Kuririn-kun is on his way to get  
them in the airbus. Wanna give them fair warning?" Ranma grinned and  
immediately started dialing.

Vejiita crossed the room to settle in a dark corner, but Akane  
reached out and snagged his tail as he passed her. "Oh no you don't,  
Vejiita. You are going to be sociable tonight." A growl answered her and  
she growled right back. "I don't care, Mr. Grumpy Pants. Sit yourself  
down and act like you actually care what we're going to talk about."

"Yeah right, Seiika-chan. As if he has a decent bone in his body,"  
Bulma winked at her and took hold of her mate's hand, leading him to an  
opposite couch. "Don't worry, Otoko, I'll protect you from Son-kun."

His growling turned into snarls, yanking his hand from her grasp.  
"Protect me from what? You dare claim..."

Her light teasing failed to diminish under the threat. "From  
Son-kun. You know, Son Goku? My best friend? Oh wait, I think you  
tend to call him Carrot Top or something. What is it again?"

"I think it's Cataract, Bulma-chan," Akane joined in.

"Katmandu?"

"No wait, wasn't it Kakeru?"

"That sounds familiar...but not quite it."

While Vejiita obstinately ignored the teasing, said male and family  
arrived, appearing via his teleporting trick. "Hey, everyone!" He turned  
around and gave the one he focused on an extra salute. "Hey, Vejiita! I  
felt you and Serori training earlier. Have you reached level two yet?"

"Shut up, Kakarotto..." the prince forced out between clenched  
fangs.

"Oooh, I knew you knew it, Vejiita-chan!" Both Akane and Bulma  
laughed out loud.

"Uh, I don't get it," Goku scrunched his face in confusion, and the  
two females laughed louder.

ChiChi rolled her eyes and pulled her husband out of the sight of  
the loudly growling Vejiita. "I don't think you were meant to, Goku-saa."

"Sorry, Goku-san, ChiChi-san," Akane waved her hand. She  
sighed and stuck her tongue out at her fuming brother. "Stop the  
posturing, Vejiita. Do you know if Yuukari and his clan are coming?"

He snorted at the childish gesture but Trunks was the one to  
respond to the inquiry. "They should be here shortly." He noticed his  
uncle hang up the phone. ""Did you get a hold of your family, Ojisan?"  
Akane turned back to her mate in response.

"Yeah, I talked to Kasumi," he nodded to Akane, "and she said  
she'll make sure everyone is ready for when Kuririn arrives. Mom was  
still there from the other day, so they won't have to make a special trip.  
They should get here in an hour or so."

Akane smiled and nodded. "Is Ryouga with them?"

"Actually, Seiika-san, he's with Korin-sama," Gohan spoke, drawing  
everyone's attention. "When Kuririn, Ryouga and I went to check on the  
senzu bean crop, Korin-sama said that Ryouga-san should stay behind.  
He said he had something to show him."

Goku smiled and nodded. "Ah, I bet I know what it is." He  
frowned. "Well, maybe I know, but that would take too long, unless..." he  
frowned harder.

"You look like your brain is about to explode, Kakarotto," Vejiita  
sneered, "don't think too hard."

"Just drop it, Vejiita," Bulma frowned. "What are you talking  
about, Son-kun?"

"Well..."

"Korin is training the human, Son. Leave it at that." Everyone  
looked up to see the new arrival. Piccolo stepped through entryway, his  
frown taking in the assembled group. It lightened slightly seeing the  
youngest saiya-jiin and he moved to stand behind Gohan. "The old geezer  
gave consent for only a few hours in the room. Hey, brat." He gave the  
giddily smiling boy a rough shove.

"If you say so, Piccolo." Goku nodded and shook away the concern.  
"If Kami said okay."

Akane frowned at the new arrival. "What are you talking about,  
Piccolo-san?"

"Never mind, Seiika." Piccolo turned his intense gaze to the  
female saiya-jiin. "Ryouga is training hard, and will be ready when he is  
needed." His gaze shifted to Ranma, who was also frowning. "Serori.  
That was some power display the other day." He left the comment for  
Ranma to decipher.

Piccolo sighed and studied the group. "Before the other saiya-jiin  
get here, I have something to announce. The old man and I were talking  
the other day, and we discovered we have a problem. The dragonballs  
won't be able to do what we think they will."

Bulma stared at the tallest member of their circle. "What do you  
mean, 'won't do what we think they will'? How vague can you get? Are  
they broken? Can they break?"

"What I mean is that when all of this crap is over with, we won't  
be able to use them to bring back everyone that was affected by the  
Hachi. They're not powerful enough."

"How many can we bring back?" Goku asked, his face very serious.

"Let's just say not as many as we need it to." He glanced  
specifically at Ranma then looked away.

"What if we word it specifically to bring back..."

Piccolo shook his head, cutting off ChiChi's question. "Kami's set  
of dragonballs were not meant to bring back a large group of people,  
especially the amount that Chikyuu has lost. The old man's got power,  
but not that much."

"What if we ask Porunga?" Gohan stared up at his sensei, his eyes  
wide.

"He's not that powerful, either."

"But he brought back all of the Nameksei-jiin that Furiiza killed,"  
Gohan argued, pointing out an old wish.

"There is a limit to power, Gohan, and the magnitude that we  
require even goes beyond old Moori and Porunga." He laid a heavy hand  
on Gohan's spikes. "Sorry, kid."

"Is there anything we can do?" Akane asked, her eyes flicking  
from the three people who seemed the most knowledgeable about the  
dragonballs: Piccolo, Goku, and Bulma.

"What we need is more power, and there is only one road we can  
take." Everyone turned their eyes to Piccolo. He cleared his throat and  
sighed. "Fusion."

"Like what you and Nail did, Piccolo-san?" Gohan spoke quietly.

"Pretty much the same, brat. Kami and I have been talking and if  
we re-fuse, it might give us enough juice to amp up Shenlong and bring  
everyone back."

The room was silent as they pondered the new information. Bulma  
was the one to ask the most important question. "If you and Kami-sama  
fuse, will the dragonballs still work?" Piccolo turned a surprised stare to  
the blue-haired female. She shifted into a more comfortable position  
and explained her thoughts. "If you fuse, Kami-sama won't exist  
anymore, just like Nail doesn't exist anymore. Won't that mean the  
dragonballs won't exist? Since they were made after Piccolo-Daimou and  
Kami-sama split, if you come back together they'll disappear because  
their maker is gone."

Piccolo frowned. He hadn't realized that, but he wondered if the  
old man did.

"Would you be able to make new ones, Piccolo? When your father  
killed Shenlong, Kami-sama was able to resurrect him when I asked to  
bring back Kuririn, off a statue that Mr. Popo had. Will you be able to  
make a new set of dragonballs?"

"I don't know, Son. I'd have to ask Kami about it. He is the one  
that's the expert on the dragonballs. I do not know how, personally."

"Or the Namek-seijiin leaders," Bulma added. "They might be  
able to help, too."

Piccolo nodded. "They would more than likely have the knowledge,  
but we have no way of contacting them." He glanced behind himself, and  
the saiya-jiin glanced in the same direction, sensing the new arrivals.  
Piccolo brushed his claws through Gohan's hair again and melted back  
into a dark corner. "You have visitors."

Trunks stood up and left the room, returning with the four  
Chinese saiya-jiin. Yuukari nodded to Vejiita & Akane, acknowledging  
them. "Greetings, all. I hope we have not arrived too late." Nanka,  
Ninjin, and Tamana also nodded their greetings.

"Not at all, Yuukari-san, we were just getting settled in." Bulma  
waved to several empty seats. "Make yourselves at home." After they  
found a place to sit, Bulma nodded to Trunks, who placed a 3-D projector  
in the middle of the room.

"This is what we put together of the first 24 hours after the  
Hachi arrived in the their main ship. It's not of the best quality, since  
it's been sitting in my mother's archives for the past twenty years, but it  
will do for what we need to see." The images played out one after  
another; hundreds upon hundreds of attacking drones took countless  
human lives in their attacks, swelling their numbers exponentially. "We  
weren't prepared at all. We knew about the drones, since their first  
scouting party had already attacked several hundred people, but they  
had never attacked one of us, like what happened to 'Tousan and  
Obasan."

They watched the images of people and reporters scrambling out  
of harm's way for several more minutes, staring at the feeble attacks of  
human armies against multiple paralysis beams, only to be taken into the  
drone ranks. "This is what happened in your time?" Tamana asked, his  
eyes glued to the stark reality of the slaughtering.

"Yes," Tobuma replied quietly, "but we aren't sure that it will  
happened exactly the same. There are other factors now, factors that  
matter that we didn't have in our time. Awareness, being the main one.  
The ability to create pre-empted strikes, another."

"More power is another crucial attribute," Trunks added. "We  
have five super saiya-jiin senshi," a intake of air from Nanka and  
Tamana made Trunks pause. "Have any of you ascended?"

Ninjin shook his head in the negative. "We were aware of the  
ability, but the opportunity to ascend has not been available." He saw  
the expression on Akane's face. "Don't you mean six, Trunks-sama?"  
Akane grunted in agreement.

"Well, yes, but Obasan has been red-shirted until Tobuma's ready  
to be born."

"Well, I can see the reason for the exclusion," Ninjin smiled.  
Akane huffed in annoyance.

"Anyway, the bonus of five super saiya-jiin senshi in the battle to  
come will be one asset we were not fortunate to have. In our time, only  
Goku-san had ascended by the time the full Hachi contingent arrived."

Akane shifted restlessly. "Excuse me for a moment, I need to,  
well...." she shrugged and smiled. "Pregnancy can be hard on the bladder."

Bulma stood, with slight help from her mate. "I'll go with you,  
Seiika-chan. I could use a bathroom break as well." The two females  
left the room.

"You know, I have a question," Ranma said slowly, his eyes focused  
on the retreating image of his mate. "Is there a reason why we just  
don't shoot the damn ship down when it gets close enough? That way, we  
won't have to worry about any battle plans, or loss of life other than the  
tally we have now."

He looked around at everyone staring at him, taking in his  
suggestion at face value. "If there is a way I can avoid Akane being  
hurt, I want to know why we can't do it."

"Er," Goku stared into his hands, his face drawn in thought,  
"Serori, that's, well, that's an interesting idea. I didn't think of it,  
actually."

"That's because your brain can't handle higher-level thing, idiot."

Goku sighed and shook his head. "That's not...I meant that the  
thought of outright shooting them down didn't cross my mind because I  
wouldn't think of doing such an act."

"Can I ask why, Goku-san?" Tamana asked the younger male. "It's  
a sound idea, and it would save many lives. It's not as if the power  
required is an issue, correct?" The cousins snorted in unison.

"Well," Goku scratched at the back of his head as he thought of  
the right way to word his response, "I guess the idea of just killing them  
point blank is not what I'm used to." He sighed and looked around,  
lingering on his family, "I try to give everyone a fair chance." He  
specifically turned his attention to Vejiita, locking his stare with the  
Prince. "You're more than aware of that, Vejiita." He snorted and  
turned his head away.

"That's all noble and everything, Goku, but they don't deserve a  
chance." Ranma stared at the elder male. "We know what's gonna happen  
if they capture Akane." He leaned forward and his eyes flashed green,  
"and I will never let that happen."

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**In the other room**

A loud flush accompanied an even louder sigh. "Gods, I thought I  
was going to explode if I didn't empty my bladder within the next  
second."

Bulma giggled from the outer room. "I completely understand,  
Seiika-chan. I think I've worn a path in the carpeting from the trips I  
make at night."

"And the worst is yet to come, ne?" Akane smiled as she exited  
the bathroom. "We still have a ways to go." Her smile dimmed as she  
saw the frown and the faraway look in Bulma's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know if you know, Seiika, but Vejiita and I discussed the  
tanks again." Akane nodded and sat down next to her sister in law. "He's  
making me remove Trunks-chan as soon as a tank is ready."

Akane leaned in and gave the woman a hug, knowing how important  
carrying her unborn child was to the human. "I'm sorry, Bulma-chan."

She wiped away a few tears that ran in rivulets down her cheeks.  
"Oh, it's okay. I realize that I'm not built strong enough to carry him full  
term. It was obvious from this morning." She smiled and chuckled. "I  
thought he broke a rib or three."

"I thought so too." She patted the older woman's hand. "It won't  
be for a little while, right? You still have to prepare the gestation tank."

Her smile disappeared again. "Actually, I've had R&D working on  
one for a while. I checked with them this afternoon, and it's ready now.  
I can have him removed at any time."

They were silent for a moment, letting the implications of the  
revelation sink in. "Then let me know when you go in for the procedure.  
I'll be right next to you."

"Thank you, Seiika-chan," her smile returned again, "I'm glad to  
have your support. Although I regret that the boys won't be the same  
age like they are now. They get along so good together, you'd think they  
were twins themselves."

"Well, they practically are. And they will still be, since I meant  
that I will be next to you, having Tobuma-chan removed and placed in a  
tank as well."

"Seiika, that's not necessary!" Bulma stood with an incredulous  
look, "you're more than able to carry your child to full term! Why take  
the risk?"

"It's not a risk, and I want to," she affirmed, standing up. "I  
want them to be the same age, just like their future counterparts. And  
besides, I'm tired of being 'red-shirted'. Maybe they'll take me  
seriously, now."

"But Seiika-chan..."

"I've made up my mind, Bulma-chan. Don't think you can change it."  
She waggled her finger. "I'm just like my own twin in that aspect." She  
wrapped her arms around her in a hard hug. "Now, stand aside, I have to  
pee again."

Bulma laughed, stepping clear of the fidgeting female. "Hai! Now  
that's one thing I'm going to look forward to getting rid of. I swear the  
handle will be worn out by the end of this!"

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Back in with the guys**

"Now Ojisan, he didn't mean anything negative toward Obasan,"  
Trunks was trying to placate Ranma's rising temper, "he just meant  
that..."

"I know damn well what he meant, Trunks. You don't have to  
sugar-coat it for me." He glared at the purple-haired male and then at  
the wall. "Goku, if there was a chance to get rid of a threat before it  
became more dangerous, wouldn't you take it?"

"Otousan," Tobuma started out, but Ranma snapped his tail at the  
future version, and he shut his mouth quickly. He recognized the  
motion--his biological father made the same move when he was in battle  
mode, and he knew when to back off.

"I know what you're talking about, Serori, but I just think that a  
drastic move such as that should be reserved as a last-chance  
maneuver."

"Do you have any other suggestions then?"

"What suggestions are you talking about?" The girls returned  
with arms filled with treats. "Seiika sensed rising tempers and I  
thought that a break should be called." They set the platters down on  
several low tables. "Dig in everyone." After a few moments of frenzied  
activity, they settled back down. "So what were you talking about?"

"Not much since you left, Okaasan," Trunks shrugged through a  
mouthful of rice. "We were trying to discover an alternative to blowing  
them out of the sky."

"Can I make a suggestion?" Everyone turned to the quiet Ninjin.  
He had a hand raised slightly, as if in a room of school children. "It's  
obvious we need a more...reasonable...solution. Most battles come about  
because of lack of communication. Has anyone tried to talk with them?  
Reason with them?"

"And say to them what? 'Please turn around; we don't want to  
hurt you today.' That's absurd." Nanka snorted, crossing his arms. "I  
agree with Serori-san."

"Well, not in those words, exactly, but what about something to  
the effect of that? Bulma-san, do you know if verbal contact has been  
attempted?"

She nodded. "The satellites are set up to send out a general  
message of peace and goodwill and curiosity. They haven't gotten a  
response, but it could be that our technologies aren't compatible with  
each other."

"Or out of range," Yuukari added. She nodded in agreement.

"What if we try to make contact when they enter orbit?" Gohan  
asked, his brow crunched together in concentration. He saw the point of  
both arguments made by his father and Serori. He turned his gaze to  
the two older males. "And if they don't answer positively or at all, then  
we go with the last-chance scenario. Would that be a better plan?"

"Now you're talking sense, kid." Piccolo spoke from his corner.

Ranma and Goku stared at each other for a moment, but then  
both nodded in unison. "It looks like you have a smart kid there,  
Goku-san," Ranma finally said, leaning back and catching Akane's hand in  
his own.

"Hai, Serori, I do."

"Must take after his dam," Vejiita grumbled out loud.

"Vejiita!" Bulma groaned, whapping her mate on the shoulder with  
a fist. He didn't react. She sighed and shook her head and turned to  
the Chinese saiya-jiin across the room. "Ninjin-san, can I ask you a  
question?" The ponytailed male nodded silently in affirmation. "How  
much experience do you have in births?"

He blinked slowly at the abrupt change in topic. "I've delivered  
several dozen children in our village and surrounding area, and helped  
midwives on numerous occasions. Why do you ask, Bulma-sama?"

"Have you delivered any saiya-jiin cubs?"

He shook his head. "Sadly, no, my lady. None of us have taken  
mates." He cocked his head. "Do you have some questions about your  
impending birth? I am more than capable to do the momentous occasion,  
but if you have some concerns, then..."

Bulma cut him off with a laugh and a wave of a hand. "Don't  
worry, Ninjin-san, I'm more than willing to have you do it. Actually, I was  
wondering if you'd like to do it now. Trunks-chan almost ripped through  
my ribcage earlier, and I am more than ready to be skinny again."

The room filled with exclamations of shock; Ninjin himself  
standing in surprise, making a beeline for the blue-haired woman. "Are  
you positive about this?" He placed a familiar glowing hand on her sides,  
immediately zeroing in on the bruised area, taking note of the internal  
damage. "Oh my, he's a strong one, isn't he? You have some major  
bruising."

"You don't have to tell me; I felt it. And yes, I am completely  
positive. I hope you don't mind having a few observers, though. I called  
my regular obstetrician, and she's on her way over. She didn't want to  
miss this for anything. And Vejiita and Serori are going to want to be in  
there, too."

Ranma blinked at the mention of his name. "Me? Why am I going  
to want to be there?" He turned a curious look to Vejiita. "You don't  
want me in there, do you?"

"Not on your life. What are you talking about, Onna?" He was  
surprised at her announcement. He knew it was coming, but he didn't  
expect it to happen this soon. They only confirmed it this morning. "Is  
the tank already prepared?"

She nodded. "It is. Actually, it's being readied right now. Will  
you do it, Ninjin-san?"

"Of course, my lady. I shouldn't have to ask if there is proper  
equipment for the procedure?" Bulma shook her head. "Then I am more  
than willing to do so."

Ranma turned to Akane. "But that didn't answer the question to  
why I wanna be in there."

She smirked. "Don't you want to witness the birth of your child?"

He jumped up, Tobuma jumping up with him. "What?" They  
shouted in unison.

Akane rolled her eyes and turned to Ninjin, who was staring at  
her with wide eyes. "Would you be willing to do it twice?"

"Of...of course, my lady. It would be an honor." He bowed his  
head slightly.

Tobuma had fallen into his seat next to Trunks with a groan, but  
Ranma was still spluttering in shock. "Akane! What are you talking  
about? My child?"

"Sit down, baka," she sighed and yanked on his arm, pulling him  
back down into his spot next to her, "you sound like a dork. We decided,  
well, I more than anything, decided that the boys should remain the same  
age. If only Trunks were put into a tank, then he'd be more than a month  
older than Tobuma. And it's okay with me. I don't mind having him in a  
tank." She frowned and crossed her arms. "Then maybe I'll be able to  
decide my own fate, instead of you barricading me from doing anything  
other than going to the bathroom on my own."

"That's his job, Seiika," Vejiita snorted. "He's your bodyguard,  
remember?"

"Not in that way, not anymore."

"But Akane," he sighed when he saw the stubborn look settle into  
her features. He knew arguing was useless when that look appeared.  
"Fine."

Akane smirked and leaned over, pecking her mate on the cheek.  
She stood and Bulma stood as well. "Well, there's no time like the  
present. Shall we get started?" Ninjin stood and nodded in agreement.  
The three left the room.

"Present? As in now?" Ranma was still in some shock.

"Hai, Otousan, as in now," Tobuma rolled his eyes and pulled his  
father from his seat. "Come on, let's get you scrubbed up."

"It's still going to be a few minutes, Ojisan," Trunks called out to  
his uncle's stiffly retreating form. "They have to get the tanks set up  
and Okaasan and Obasan ready, too." He turned to look at his father.  
"Coming, Papa?"

Vejiita jerked in surprise at the juvenile term. "Papa?"

He blushed and shrugged. "You might as well get used to it." He  
smiled and left the room.

Goku stood and laid a warm hand on his rival's shoulder.  
"Congratulations, Vejiita! You're gonna be a papa tonight!"

"Shut up, Kakarotto." He jerked out of Goku's loose grip and  
stalked out of the room.

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**In the labs**

When Vejiita arrived in the lower levels where the procedures  
were going to take place, a blizzard of white lab coats made seeing the  
main activities next to impossible. Trunks came up behind him, and  
guided him through the traffic. "They decided that Obasan is going to  
go first. She has the best chance for the least amount of, well,  
complications, in the surgery."

In the eye of the lab coat tornado, a bright light shone down on  
an empty bed. Several trays loaded down with shining implements  
surrounded the surgical arena. Waiting in the wings were two softly  
glowing tubes. When he suggested the use of the gestation chambers,  
Bulma had pumped out all the information she could about the tanks from  
his young memories, which wasn't much in the first place. From what she  
gleaned, she and her staff of scientists created a portable environment  
for the developing fetus to be placed into once they were removed from  
the womb. He was surprised that one, let alone two, were already set up  
and prepared to receive occupants. Her mind worked faster than the  
speed of light, sometimes.

He moved over to his sister, who was just starting to lie down on  
the surgical bed. She smiled at him, adjusting the paper gown in which  
she was clothed. "It's okay that I go first, ne?" He nodded. "Ranma  
finally got over his shock when he saw the knives." She jerked her chin  
to the tray with the wickedly sharp blades. "He immediately started to  
grill Ninjin on how much experience he really had with these kind of  
operations. I thought the man was going to faint with nervousness  
already, but he just made him worse. I sent him to go wait for  
Fujinkai-sensei." She leaned back, settling into the mattress. "Baka."

"I'm surprised that you aren't waiting for your family."

Her eyes widened. "I forgot about them! Oh my." She sat up,  
nibbling on a fingernail. The indecision was clear on her face. "Well, I  
guess it can't be helped. I'm all prepped." She moved aside one flap of  
her gown and showed him the black lines on her stomach and lower  
region. "He's already drawn the incision lines."

He blinked at the intersecting lines. "He is slicing you open? Isn't  
the brat supposed to come out..." he waved in a general downward  
motion.

"Well, normally, it does." She chuckled and shook her head. "But  
were doing this by cesarean, since we don't want the fetus to realize it's  
out of the womb."

They turned to see Ninjin arrive with an older human female,  
Bulma and Ranma following directly behind. "Vejiita, this is  
Fujinkai-sensei. She's been Seiika and mine's obstetrician since we found  
out. Fujinkai-sensei, this is Vejiita, my husband." He nodded slightly in  
acknowledgment. She turned to Akane, her eyes bright. "Are you all  
ready, Seiika-chan?"

"I suppose, as much as I can be in such a short time. Ranma, we  
forgot about our family! They're due to arrive any minute."

"I'll go wait for them, Okaasan," Tobuma offered from the edge  
of the room. He and Trunks exited the room, glad for an excuse not to  
witness his own birth.

Ninjin watched them go, and when the door was closed, he got  
down to business. "Let me explain the procedure to everyone. Both  
mothers will be awake, since this won't actually take very long. I already  
gave Seiika-sama an epidural, so she will not be in any pain. I will be  
making an incision right over the womb, but when I go in for the fetus, I  
won't be cutting open the placenta. This will be the most difficult part  
of the procedure, since it's attached to the uterine wall. At least in  
human females, it is. Seiika-sama, I don't know how different it will be  
when I open you, so I am going to go fairly slow. Is that okay?"

"Of course, Ninjin-san," she nodded, leaning back again onto the  
bed. "I can also tell you that the epidural is taking effect, since I can't  
feel my legs."

"Good, then we are ready to begin. Fujinkai-sensei, would you like  
to assist me?" She nodded, and turned to get scrubbed up. "Is there a  
chamber ready?" An affirmative came from the sidelines from a  
technician. "All right, then. Seiika-sama, I'm going to put a sheet over  
you with a hole cut into it, so only the surgical area is showing. When  
Fujinkai-sensei returns, she's going to hook up some sensors; they're just  
for the monitors that watch yours and the baby's heart rate, blood  
pressure, and that sort of thing. Then I will make the first incision.  
Just relax; everything will turn out fine."

The room went silent; the only sounds heard were Ninjin's  
requests for new tools, suction for blood, or other things. "All right,  
Seiika-sama, I'm about to cut open the uterus. Bring the tank over  
here." A technician rolled the cylinder into the light. "That's fine. I've  
slit through the uterine wall." He removed his hands, setting down the  
surgical blades. With gently glowing fingers, he dove into the opening,  
explaining what he was doing. "With my ki, I'm going to seal the blood  
vessels that break as I peel away the placenta from the wall." He turned  
his attention away from his surgery and locked eyes with a pale Ranma,  
who was standing next to Akane's side, holding her hand tightly in his.  
"Serori-sama, would you like to remove him?"

He blinked cluelessly. "What?"

Ninjin smiled and removed his hands once again, gloves coated in  
blood. "He's just resting in there, now. You are more than able to pull  
him out."

"Really? Akane?"

"Go for it, Ranma," she grunted, "before I lose all the feeling in  
my hand from you squeezing it so hard."

"Al...alright." He let go of her hand and made his way to the other  
end of his mate. "What do I do?"

As Ninjin was explaining what to do, the door opened in the back  
of the lab to reveal Tobuma and Trunks leading the recent arrivals from  
Nerima. Dr. Fujinkai made a shushing noise, and the others crowded  
closer just in time to watch Ranma slide his gloved hands into Akane's  
stomach and pull out a sac the size of a melon.

"Slice the umbilical cord, Serori-sama, and put him into the tank."  
A technician opened the top and he slowly released the small bundle in  
his hands into the very warm green water. They all watched as Ninjin  
reached in and removed the placenta, and everyone got their first look  
at the newest saiya-jiin.

He was completely formed; all the body parts were in place, just  
very, very small. His tiny fingers were tightly curled around a thin reed  
of a tail. No hair was on his head or tail; that would start growing in  
last, but as he started to settle into the new environment, his features  
relaxed and loosened, giving everyone a view of the recognizable  
characteristics of the future version. It was definitely Tobuma.

Ranma placed a ki-lit hand on the hard plastic of the clear casing,  
and immediately a small hand uncurled and reached for the glow. A smile  
formed over his face. "He knows it's me," he hoarsely whispered.

"Ranma..." Akane's call brought his attention back to his mate. His  
smile widened and immediately he pushed the chamber into her range of  
vision. Ninjin was busily repairing the incisions.

He knelt next to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead, then her  
lips, "Hima-chan, he's beautiful! Absolutely beautiful."

Akane smiled softly, and nodded. "He looks just like you, Ranma."

Ninjin cleared his throat. "I'm finished, Seiika-sama. Would you  
like to be moved into the other room now?"

She nodded, and Dr. Fujinkai came back over. "Akane-san, I'm  
going to wheel you into the other room, and Ranma-san will bring in  
Tobuma in a little bit."

"Why not now?"

"We just need to check that he's adapting to the new environment  
and pulling in the nutrients you usually provide through the placenta and  
umbilical cord. Plus, we need to rid you of the afterbirth."

Akane nodded, pulling Ranma back down for another kiss. "I'll see  
you in a moment. Watch over him, please? I love you."

"I will. Love you, too." He watched as Akane was pushed out of  
the room, and turned to see many more faces in the room than were  
before. "Hey, when did you guys get here?"

Nodoka immediately came forward and wrapped him in a warm  
hug. "That was absolutely beautiful, Ranma-kun! What a special moment  
to be able to remember!"

"Uh, thanks?"

Kasumi and Nabiki stepped into the light to give their hugs when  
Nodoka finally released Ranma. "Congratulations, Ranma-kun," Kasumi  
spoke, wiping the tears away from her face when she released him.  
"You're a daddy, now!"

"Well, technically not for another month or so. He's got some  
major growing to do, yet." They watched the white-coated technicians  
checked over the last of the information and they announced everything  
was working perfectly. "Good. I'm gonna go wheel him into by Akane.  
You wanna see her?" They all nodded, and followed him into the other  
room.

Vejiita was staring at Bulma, who was wiping away the tears from  
her face. "Why are you crying, Onna? Nothing happened to make you  
weep."

"Well, not technically, but it was a touching moment. But I  
suppose my hormones are in overdrive, too." She smiled and leaned  
against him as she watched the technicians clean the area and ready it  
for her own procedure. _Are you going to pull Trunks-chan out, Vejiita?_

He grunted, nodding slightly. _Of course, Bulma. Did you think I_  
_would not?_

_I was hoping you would._

"We're ready for you, Bulma-san," Dr. Fujinkai called as she  
readied a rather large needle.

"Hai." She laid a light kiss on his cheek before pushing away.  
_Stay with me, Vejiita?_ "Is that the epidural?"

"Yes, Bulma-san. It should start taking effect within a few  
minutes."

_I'll be here. There is no need to worry._

During Bulma's procedure, Ninjin gave the same move-by-move  
commentary for the Prince's benefit, and when it came time for Ninjin to  
ask if Vejiita wanted to pull Trunks from Bulma's womb, he was there by  
her side, hands and arms already gloved and waiting.

After Trunks was placed in the gestation tank, and Bulma was  
being resown together, Vejiita stared at his hands with a sense of  
wonder. They've been coated in blood many times before, but that was  
because it was a messy job, annihilating entire races. He would return  
from many a purging mission soaked from head to tail in the lifeblood of  
countless lives lost. He didn't give it any real concern or thought, just  
washing it down the drain and moving on to the next day. It was the only  
thing he could do to remain sane. But this time, this time he was coated  
with the life-giving blood that his mate freely offered to his unborn  
heir. He couldn't discard it as wantonly as the other times. This was a  
willing sacrifice, and he intended to view it as such.

_I'll be right back, Bulma._

_All right. Hurry back._

Vejiita ignored the startled looks he got as he moved through the  
corridors of Capsule Corp, Bulma's blood making crimson trails down his arms.  
When he arrived back in the suite of rooms he shared with Bulma, he  
kneeled on the floor of the bathroom, and with his eyes closed, he began  
to clean himself with his tongue, lapping up every spilled drop of blood  
that his mate willingly gave, giving her sacrifice the honor it deserved.  
When he was done, and there was not a single drop of red in sight, he  
stood and left the rooms to return to her and his newly visible child's  
side.

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**The next day**

"This is Hiiro Taki, coming to you live from Capsule Corp where an  
important announcement is about to take place. In a moment, an official  
spokesman will announce changes in the Hachi status." A rumble rolled  
through the crowd and he turned away from the camera to see what the  
noise meant. He quickly discovered the answer. "Briefs Trunks has just  
stepped onto the platform. Let's see what he has to say."

"Good morning, everyone. I hate to be the bearer of bad news,  
but by satellite estimates, a Hachi invasion ship will reach Earth's orbit  
within the next twenty-four hours. This means that everyone needs to  
remain calm, but be aware that Hachi drones will be touching down on  
soil by tomorrow morning. I ask you all to stay inside and away from  
windows. If the Hachi can not see you, they can not harm you. I ask you  
again, remain inside until an all-clear is given. I and the other warriors  
will be working tirelessly to insure your safety and well being. Thank  
you, and may the gods watch over Chikyuu tonight."

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**That night**

Tobuma burst into the incubation room where Akane and Bulma  
were talking and watching over their children. "Okaasan,  
Obasan--they're here."

Bulma stood up, with some help from Akane. She was still sore from  
the operation the day before. "Where?" _Vejiita! They've arrived!_  
_Grab Serori and meet Seiika and me in the stellar lab._ They followed  
Tobuma out of the room, and into the lab where they were monitoring the  
Hachi ship's progress into their atmosphere. The large screen that  
covered half a wall showed an image they were familiar with: an elliptical  
black ship nearly identical with the one Bulma recreated only days earlier.

"At the moment, they've settled into a higher orbit over the  
United States." Tobuma checked the numbers flashing across the  
bottom of the screen. "The best estimate for strike is the Great Lakes  
region."

She nodded and sat down in the chair, Akane next to her. "All  
right. Get ready to book out of here. Call Son-kun and let him know."  
Tobuma nodded and ran from the room.

Immediately after Tobuma's hurried exit, Ranma and Vejiita  
entered the room, their faces schooled for battle. "Status." Vejiita  
gruffed out, his eyes flicking from Bulma to the screen.

"They've established an orbit over the US. The best point for  
fire is in the Great Lakes area," she brought up a map and enlarged it on  
several blue fingers of water, "here."

He nodded and stepped up behind her, placing one hand on her  
shoulder. "Send out the summons."

Ranma placed himself into an identical position, only behind Akane  
with his arms crossed over his chest. "I hope they don't answer."

"It would be ideal," Akane sighed, "but somehow I feel it's not  
going to work out that way."

A few minutes later, a loud beep made Bulma sit up straight.  
"They're responding."

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Aboard the _Tokemonu_**

"We've entered Chikyuu's orbit, Captain."

"Assume a standard orbit, Violet, and tell Rose to prepare the  
first five waves of soldiers for attack."

"He's already in position, Captain, and awaits the go ahead."

Iris nodded. He knew it was a useless order, since his first  
officer was more than ready to get under way with their attack scheme.  
"Is there any sign of the saiya-jiin, Violet?"

The Hachi at the main bridge station shook its head. "None that  
we can detect. Chikyuu's population is bustling, but there are no high  
energy levels worth detecting."

"All right. Tell Rose to launch as soon as he is ready. I will head  
down with the second wave. Marigold, you've got control. Keep sensor  
locks on both me and Rose, and if you should lose one of us, inform the  
other."

Marigold nodded, but a beeping noise turned his attention to his  
console. He checked a few readings, then turned his gaze back to his  
captain. "Sir, we are being hailed."

"Where is the source?"

"It's coming from Chikyuu, sir. There has been a steady  
background noise originating from the planet for the last couple hours,  
but it was so confusing I just ignored it. It seemed to be a mix of  
different frequencies so I attributed it to their general communication  
networks. This one is obviously directed to us."

"Audio or visual?"

"Both, captain. The computer database has recognized their  
language and can translate."

Iris moved to stand in the middle of the bridge. "Trace the origin  
of the signal, Marigold, and bring it on screen. Make sure Rose is  
receiving this in the hangar as well."

Marigold silently nodded, bringing the forward view screen to life.  
The picture of the blue and green world was replaced by the image of  
four people. Two females were seated at what looked like a  
communications console of some kind, and two males stood directly  
behind them. Iris immediately recognized the Prince and Princess of the  
Saiya-jiin, Vejiita and Seiika. "This is Captain Iris of the Starship  
_Tokemonu_. How may I be of assistance?"

The four looked at each other, the looks on several of their faces  
showing that they were expecting something or someone else. "My name  
is Dr. Bulma Briefs, Captain. I have contacted you on request of the  
people of Earth. Please call off your attack of this planet and leave this  
system immediately, or we will be forced to use more powerful and  
drastic measures."

Iris immediately read the threat in the statement, but did not  
show any outward indication of its effectiveness. "I understand your  
words, Dr. Bulma Briefs, but we are unable to fulfill such a request. We  
have too much invested in our endeavors, and to retreat now would be  
against everything we have strived for in such processes."

"So you do understand if you do not comply, we will be forced to  
retaliate, using all means at our disposal."

Iris nodded. "That is more than expected, Dr. Bulma Briefs. I  
had no question that there would be resistance to our efforts. We have  
seen such efforts from you and the saiya-jiin already, and are prepared  
to complete our mission. Your communiqué will be noted in the records as  
an attempt for negotiation. Thank you for the effort."

The other male spoke quietly. "I will not let you take Akane, bug."

"I do not understand your statement, but I have a strong  
inclination to its meaning. _Tokemonu_, out." He nodded to Marigold and  
the screen went blank.

"Sir, Commander Rose and the first five sets has cleared the  
launch bays. They are en route to their designated landing marks."

"Launch the other sets as soon as possible and fall into a  
defensive position." Iris quickly made his way to the door. "Feed the  
coordinates into my pod from where the communication originated, and  
replot my course to directly land there. Alert Rose of my change in  
plans." He shook his head. "I did not expect them to hand the Queen to  
us in such a manner."

"Aye, sir."

**>>>>>>>>>>>**

As soon as the screen went blank, Bulma hit a button in front of  
her. "They refused to listen. Time for drastic measures."

Trunks' wind-blown, super saiya-jiin image appeared on the screen.  
"Hai. We anticipated that. Tobuma, Goku, and I are almost there."

"Good luck."

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Next time: the final battle?**

**_Gie-chan_**


End file.
